The End Is Only The Beginning
by LoganAlpha30
Summary: Set After -Chosen-, What I want to happen next.  My usual couples.  A few suprise guests to. Chapter 30 and Epilogue Now Up!
1. Default Chapter

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I create.**

**Author's Note:  This starts shortly after the series finale of Buffy.  I'll try to keep it as close to continuity as I can and this story is also going to include Angel and his group, so I'm putting it with the Angel fanfic's.  If you know me then you already know the pairings, except my main two will take a little time to get together, and at the beginning it'll be a little bit B/A as Buffy will need some t.l.c. after what happened to Spike.**

**CHAPTER 1-A PECULIAR MEETING OF SOULS**

She had been in this place for weeks, this cold lonely place.  It was a place very much like the real world only it wasn't, for she discovered that she could not touch anything or talk to anyone.  The words would come out of her mouth but no one could hear her.  Even though she had been surrounded by people the whole time she felt more alone than she had ever felt.  Even those that loved her could neither see nor hear her desperate pleas for help.  And so she had left what she had felt like her new home and returned to Sunnydale.  She found that unlike before she could move around much more quickly.  The trip to from Los Angeles to Sunnydale used to take hours, now it only took a few seconds.  She arrived back to where she remembered Sunnydale being, but to her horror only found a large gaping crater where the city had been.  In a distressed panic she began to look for anything that would tell her what had caused this horrific level of destruction.

*                    *                   *                     *                    *                  *                  *

"I can't believe he's gone."  That thought kept running over and over again in her mind along with the sickening realization that he hadn't believed her when she had said that she loved him.  Hadn't he been able to see her love for him in her eyes, in how she hadn't staked him on sight when she came upon him in the school's basement, or how she had consoled him on the night before the final battle, letting him hold her all through the night.  He had been her rock, the one person that she thought that she could always count on to be there for her, to back her up.  Had he been there when they had decided to make Faith their leader he would have no doubt stood beside her and told them all where to go.  But now he was gone, and for the second time in her life she had no clue what to do or where to go.  They had just asked her that same question only minutes before, and all that she could manage was a meager smile.  She had rushed back to sit on the bottom step of the bus and think before any of them could ask any further questions.  Unknowing of what to do she sat there with her head in her hands, trying her best to hold back the tears that threatened to pour nonstop from her eyes.  Giles and Xander had tried to offer comfort but in her position there was no one that could.  She had lost the man that she loved.  She had finally come to terms with her feelings for him when she had seen the love in his eyes the night that he had found her in the abandoned house and wouldn't let her sleep until he had reminded her of who she was, a hell of a woman, the one.  

Xander stayed stoic even though he had lost Anya, but she knew him better than that.  She knew that once night had fallen and everyone would have a chance to begin to process what had happened that he would be in the same spot that she was now in.  It was odd how the two old friends, who had been through so much, would now find themselves in the one place that neither had ever hoped to be in.  The potentials, those wounded and still mostly unhurt, looked to her with fear and uncertainty in their eyes.  They held their questions even though she knew what they would be.  What now?  Where are we supposed to go?  Is it really over?  Did we win?  The last question that sprang to her mind did hit her enough to let a lonely tear slip out.  Did they win, how could they have when so many potentials had died along with two soul mates.  All in all she resigned herself to the fact that they had won, but at a very horrible price.  Faith kept her distance, seemingly knowing the reason that she sought to be alone with her thoughts.  Many of the potentials on the bus would need medical attention, not to mention Robin.  Even though she had tried a little voice in the back of her mind simply couldn't see Robin and Faith lasting very long.  In her mind he just wasn't the right guy for her.  She didn't really have a clue as to who was the right guy for the formerly rogue slayer, but that same little voice hinted to her that she had met him before.  

Andrew sat huddled in a small ball in the back of the bus, trying to muffle the sound of his tears.  Dawn sat beside him trying to comfort him.  It was funny but the two had actually started to become friends over the short time that he had been incarcerated in her house.  They weren't friends to the point of telling each other their secrets but friends enough to want to reach out and help each other in a time of need.  Willow and Kennedy stood, with their arms around each other, by the edge of the crater, wistfully gazing into it.  With Willow mumbling through her memories of her hometown, a town that was now gone.  Kennedy just listened and tried to comfort her lover as best she could.  When push finally came to shove she ordered everyone onto the bus and almost pushed Giles into the driver's seat.  When he asked her where he should go she only said two words…Los Angeles.

*                      *                     *                        *                   *                             *

It took him some time to figure out exactly where he was, or at least where he thought he was.  He had sobbed for what seemed like hours after arriving in this place.  Every square centimeter of his body seemed to burn endlessly.  The few short glimpses of his surroundings only brought confusion.  He appeared to still be in the basement of the high school, but now it looked like a war zone, as he was situated in a small pocket near what had been the hellmouth.  When the pain finally subsided enough for him to be able to stand he had to pull himself up with the help of the wall.  With what little strength remained to him he started shouting out the names of those that had been there in the end with him.  To his joy no one answered back, hopefully because they had all made it out alive.  Looking down he noticed a small silver cross lying half buried in the dirt.  For a second he thought about the irony of it all, the small cross buried in the dirt.  But upon looking closer he thought he recognized the cross as the one that Buffy wore the night that he had told her about his soul.  A smile curled his lips as he remember how beautiful she had looked that night, the soft rays of moonlight forming an angelic halo around her, making the rest of the old church look very old and drab.  

With a shrug of his shoulders he bent down to pick up the small trinket.  To his surprise he watched as his fingers passed right through the cross and the small pile of dirt.  Shaking his head and explaining it away that he missed the cross because he was tired he tried again.  And again his hand passed right through the small trinket and the small pile of dirt.

"Bloody hell…," he mumbled with a very confused scowl on his face as tried again and again to pick up the small trinket.  But every time he tried his hand simply passed right through.  

*                *                     *                         *                          *                   *                    *

After returning from his trip to Sunnydale Angel had initially tried to storm into his office and lock the door behind him.  But Lilah had been there with stacks of paperwork and other files.  Begrudgingly he had agreed to fill out all of the papers and look over the files, if only to get Lilah out of his office quicker so that he could brood over the events of the previous few hours.  He was just about to shut his door when Fred had almost danced into his office with an invention that she felt Angel just had to see.  He listened politely as she went over the inventions specifications and everything that it could do.  After she left Wesley had stopped by to talk to him about a few things but had changed his mind when he saw the look on Angel's face.  With a slight nod of his head Wesley disappeared for a bit before returning to Angel's office and shutting and locking the door behind him.  When he turned around Angel saw that Wesley had brought in a bottle of his strongest liquor.  Wesley had asked him if he wanted some but Angel had passed and Wesley had replied that he'd drink for the both of them.  The two old friends spent most of that night and next day talking about what had happened in Sunnydale and what they were going to do now.

Angel had finally persuaded Wesley to go home and get some sleep, but the Englishman was so drunk that Angel decided that it'd be better if he slept it off in his office.  Taking the opportunity Angel had used the time to catch up on some sleep, even if it was only a light sleep as he was still very far from comfortable in his new office.  He was awoken several hours later by a groggy and hung-over Wesley pounding on his door.  When he had opened the door Wesley had rushed in and turned the television on.  At first Angel didn't know what to make of his friends hurried actions.  But when the screen came to life Angel's heart would have stopped beating if it had been possible.  The horrific images on the screen showed the remains of the once proud city of Sunnydale.  Instead of a hustling and bustling city there was a giant gouge in the earth.  Almost without thought the two uttered only a single word with very worried scowls on their faces.  However their words differed.   

"Buffy…," Angel said almost in a whisper as he half stumbled back to his desk and almost collapsed into his chair.

"Faith…," Wesley choked out with a pained frown on his face as he picked up the remote and slowly backed away and turned up the volume as he did so.

*                         *                          *                       *                       *                              *

She had been at her search for what felt like hours, all without finding anything other than a few stray items that had somehow survived the horror of it all.  Fruitlessly she had tried to pick them up, but found that she couldn't touch anything other than the walls of building, doors were easily passed through as they were already a gateway of sorts.  All that she found were small things like a few spare crates of clothing that had somehow come through the destruction of the city.  Nothing was as she remembered it.  She noticed that the worst damage seemed to be concentrated in the center of the crater.  She guessed that whatever happened here had started there and spread outward.  She decided to check the epicenter out to look for any clues.  She hadn't gone far when she was startled to see other people walking listlessly about.  She thought about asking them something but then remembered her earlier failed attempts to talk to her loved ones and she had to bite her lip to keep from tearing up at the memories.  She was about to pass them by when she heard one speak.  

She was originally overjoyed to at last be able to talk to someone, but the people that she met couldn't offer her any help.  They were all still mostly in shock and their only words were of them hopelessly trying to comprehend what had happened.  Shedding a trio of tears in disappointment she continued on her path towards the center of the blast.  She hadn't gone too much further when she thought she recognized one of the people.  She rushed up and crouched down in front of the person before asking the ever important question.

"A…Anya…is that you…," She asked with a confused but hopeful look on her face as she looked over at the person sitting, with tears in her eyes, in front of her.  At first the woman didn't seem to have heard her.  But then the woman lifted her tear filled eyes and squealed with delight and relief as she surged forward.

"Cordelia…," Anya almost shouted out thankfully as she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the former cheerleader, hugging her tightly.  Cordelia almost fell backwards from the force of Anya's body colliding with hers and then the power of the hug.

"Wait…you can see me…hear me…," Cordelia gasped out with a tone to her voice that was a combination of joy and utter shock and confusion.  

"What…of course I can…we're in limbo not hell," The former vengeance demon exclaimed with an almost bored, yet happy, smile on her face as she released Cordelia from her grip and sat back down on a nearby rock.  Cordelia could barely get out her question as she almost choked on the thought of it.  

"I'm…I'm dead…," Cordelia asked in a gasp as her head spun as she tried to come to grips with what Anya was trying to say. 

"Well not exactly…me…yeah I'm dead…corset and disco music dead…guess that means no more joyous orgasms for me…but you, well you're just stuck here…," Anya replied with a very sad frown on her face before she jutted her bottom lip out and stared off into space.  Cordelia nearly passed out at the revelation before she cleared her throat and asked another question.

"Wait…how'd you die…," Cordelia asked with a confused frown on her face as she sat down on a rock opposite the one that Anya was sitting on.  

"A bringer stabbed me from behind with a knife…at least it was one of those cool curved ones…," Anya stated sadly at first before brightening up at the last part.  

"I don't understand any of this…," Cordelia muttered angrily as she shook her head and gazed at the ground beneath her feet.  Anya frowned sadly before opening her mouth to try to say something supportive, but she got interrupted.

"Anya…," he yelled out, partly in relief and partly in confusion, as he trudged closer and closer to the two women.  

"Spike…wait…why are you here…," Anya gasped out in shock and concern as she spun around on her rock and turned to face the approaching figure.  Spike smile weakly and shrugged his shoulders before responding.

"Hell if I know…last thing I remember is being consume by the light…next thing I know I can walk around but not touch anything…," Spike answered sadly as he wiped some dust off of his jeans and sat down beside Anya and Cordelia, leaning back up against the remnants of a sidewalk.

"Same with me…I can't hear what anybody says though…and they can't hear me…," Cordelia exclaimed with a bit of relief and anxiety in her voice.

"It's because all of you are in a very special time in your lives…the time where you decide what it is that you truly want…and if fate agrees with you then you'll get it…," a soft feminine voice said from behind the trio, causing them all to turn quickly and gasp.  Standing a few feet away, with a loving smile on her face and dressed in a beautiful white dress, stood Joyce Summers.

"Joyce…," Spike blurted out in awe as he tried to determine whether or not who he was seeing was actually there.

"Yes William…it's me, I've been chosen as a guide for the three of you…to put you on the path to your future," Joyce replied calmly with a kind smile on her face as she began to walk slowly towards the trio.

"Wait…we're dead, what future do we have…," Anya exclaimed with a confused frown on her face as she turned her head back to look at first Spike and then Cordelia.

"And why'd you call me William…I'm not him…," Spike added solemnly, with a touch of bitterness in his voice, as he crossed his arms and stared at the ground nearby.

"At the moment you're dead yes…but you don't necessarily have to stay that way…Anya you died bravely…so it's been decided that you are to be given a choice whether to go accept what fate has for you…or return to the mortal realm, and William…Spike the vampire is gone…for good," Joyce answered with a look on her face as if she were reciting what was on the menu for the day.  

"Wait…I can go back…to Xander…," Anya asked, her face brightening considerably as she spoke her lovers name.

"If that's what you want…or you can never see him again…your choice…," Joyce replied with a small laugh as she clasped her hands together in front of her.  

"What about you…do you get to come back to…," Cordelia asked with a hopeful look on her face, getting her question in before Spike could ask one of his own.

"Sorry…but it was my time to go…oh don't worry about me…I'm happy as long as my girls are happy…that reminds me…William Buffy and Dawn are going to need you…sooner than they think," Joyce said with a content smile on her face as first before he expression became one of panic and worry.  

"But what can I do…you said that Spike the vampire is gone…what else is there…," Spike asked with a dejected and solemn frown on his face as he avoided Joyce's kind gaze.

"What else is there…you of course…you asked that demon in Africa to give Buffy what she deserved…and when you used the amulet you passed your final test…now if you want I can make you what…no who she deserves…," Joyce replied with a calm look of acceptance on her face as a confused Spike readied his next question in his head.  

"What do you mean who she deserves…and what about me…," Cordelia demanded with an angry frown on her face as she crossed her arms defiantly in front of her.

"Cordelia…you get the choice whether or not to accept what fate has for you…or to return as you were when you left and try to rectify the problems that have been caused in your absence…as for who…well William, you'll be the only one of your kind, there won't be another like you…except for Connor, but it's not time for him yet," Joyce answered with an eerily calm smile on her face as she looked back and forth between Cordelia and Spike.  

"Only one of my kind…what the bloody hell is that supposed to mean…," Spike asked angrily as he pushed himself back up to his feet.

"You will be like her…her equal in every way…you'll be able to be with her at any time…no longer bound by the restraints that you had as a vampire…because you'll be…William…a slayer of vampires…," Joyce answered with a happy smile on her face as she reached over and laid a hand on a startled Spike's shoulder.

"I thought slayers were all girls…how can he…," Anya interjected with a confused look on her face as she stood up and looked over at Joyce.

"The tactics of the First have prompted a change in how things are done…so what do you say William…," Joyce asked with an expectant look on her face as she turns her gaze back to Spike.

"I want her to be happy…so…," Spike mumbled softly with an unsure but hopeful look on his face before Joyce smiled brightly and clapped her hands together.  Before either Anya or Cordelia could utter a word Spike vanished.  Anya started to say something but vanished as well, followed closely behind by Cordelia.  After the three had vanished Joyce lifted her gaze skyward and whispered a silent prayer for the trio.

*                  *                *                    *                       *                                *

Like small rivers it ran, flowing unheeded downward towards the center of it all.  Somehow it came from all over the town and filled the small crater under all of the debris in the center of the city.  When the crater was filled to its limits the blood stopped flowing altogether.  Eerie orange and blue lighting flashed over the top of it before all went quiet.  Nothing noticed as a shaky hand was slowly lifted out of the blood, followed closely behind by the rest of the figure.  The man stood there, his mind a jumbled mass of memories, feelings, and sensations.  He sat motionless as the blood that drenched him slowly trickled off and fell back to the pool below.  He calmly lifted his left hand and opened it, only to find the cross that he had seen before lying comfortably on his palm.  

END OF CHAPTER 1


	2. Everthing Old Is New Again

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 2-EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN**

The small silver cross felt like a feather in his cold dead hand.  Or at least it should have, but new sensations suddenly began to flood through his body, and he felt the edges of the small cross tickle his palm instead of setting it ablaze.  A jolt of pain blasted his mouth open and he took his first real breath in over a century and a half.  The sensation of breathing shocked him at first, but he slowly acclimated himself to it. With labored breaths and pained muscles he slowly began to pull himself from the pit of blood.  The sharp rocks tore at his hands and knees, opening wounds and letting fresh blood flow.  The scent of his own blood confused him at first, for he truly had never had the chance to smell his own blood when he had been a vampire.  With strength that he didn't know he had he used the nearby wall to pull himself up to his feet.  No sooner had he gotten to his feet then he felt like he was going to pass out.  He started to mutter something before a fountain of blood and bile surged up from his stomach and forced its way out of his body.  Despite his best efforts he collapsed back to the ground, smearing the mix of blood and bile all over his body as violent convulsions wracked his body.

*                     *                     *                         *                       *                            *

"Are you sure you know where you're going Giles…," Xander called out from a few seats behind the drivers seat as he groggily pulled himself up to a seated position.  The bus had pulled away from what was left of Sunnydale only half an hour earlier and the carpenter had suddenly become struck with a case of impatience.  

"Of course I do…why would you think otherwise…," Giles replied with a worried frown on his face as he kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead of them.

"Uh G…maybe because you just missed the L.A. turnoff," Faith chimed in with a tired smile on her face as she walked towards the front of the buss after checking on Robin and the other potentials.  Giles nearly ran the bus off of the road in shock before Dawn pointed out a sign that said that there'd be another turnoff a few miles ahead.  

They had left the devastation that used to be called the great city of Sunnydale with every intention of making the fastest trip to Los Angeles that they could.  Many of the potentials and Wood needed medical attention and everyone except for Buffy was growing impatient about how long the trip was taking.  Buffy had moved to a solitary seat at the back of the bus immediately after telling Giles where to drive to. She had refused when first Willow and then Dawn had asked if they could sit beside her.  She wouldn't even tell them what was wrong.  Instead she just sat in the back seat of the bus and stared out the back window as Sunnydale disappeared out of view.  After that she sat like a stone, staring out the back window, a never ending trickle of tears running down her cheeks, with a heart wrenching sniffle thrown in from time to time.  Xander had thought about interrupting her but when he had sat down next to her and seen the look in her eyes any doubt as to what she was doing evaporated.  She missed him, that much was clearly evident.  Even after what he had done Xander found it hard to not harbor at least some feelings of anger and resentment towards the vampire.  But he knew that if he voiced any of those feelings that he'd probably be threatened with the loss of his other eye.  

Willow and Kennedy entrenched themselves near the front of the bus, sound asleep.  Willow's head was leaning against the window with someone's coat as a pillow, allowing Kennedy to use her lover's shoulder as her pillow.  

"Has anyone put even the slightest bit of thought about what we're going to actually do when we get to Los Angeles," Giles asked with a tired and frustrated look on his face as he moved the bus onto the off-ramp.  

"It's simple, we stop in and see Angel, Wes and the others and stay there until everyone's healthy enough, and then…," Faith replied with a confident smirk on her face as she lightly patted Giles on the shoulder.  

"What if they don't have room," Dawn inquired with a worried look on her face as she leaned over the front seat and stared idly out the front window.  

"They live in a hotel…they've got plenty of room to spare," Faith reassured Dawn with a very certain smile on her face before she looked down at the speedometer.  "Ya might wanna lay of the gas…we don't wanna get pulled over…a bus full of injured girls would be pretty hard to explain…especially when I'm a wanted fugitive," Faith continued in her usual aloof tone of voice, but hidden in there Giles could hear a few small flakes of fear in the slayers voice.  She had tasted what the good life was like, fighting on the side of good and obtaining more friends than she ever thought she'd have, and had not interest on returning to prison anytime soon.  

"Anything we should know before we get there…just so we don't get surprised…like Cordelia's a vampire or something like that…," Dawn asked with a worried frown on her face as she turned and looked up at the brunette slayer.

"Angel's copasetic…Gunn's chillin…Slim…Fred's fine, Lorne's frantic, Wesley's got it going on in a George Clooney Brad Pitt kinda scruffy hunk way…and Cordelia's pregnant," Faith said, seemingly reciting a list that she had made up in her head a long time ago, smiling widely as she described the former watcher and then becoming more serious as she got to the former cheerleader.  

"George Clooney…," Andrew said with a big smirk on his face as he leaned his head up against the window and closed his eyes.  Dawn smiled back at him before Giles nearly drove off of the road at Faith's last truth.

"Cordelia's pre…pregnant," Xander stuttered out with a look of complete shock on his face as he almost tripped over someone's shoes that had been carelessly left on the floor.

"Wait…sorry about that, she was pregnant…but it was some demon thing that took control of her…," Faith said with a slightly embarrassed frown on her face before she turned around and headed towards the back of the bus.  

*                       *                              *                          *                         *                         *

It was several minutes later before either Wesley or Angel moved a muscle.  Instead the two kept their ears open and their eyes peeled to the television screen.  Wesley's heart was racing as he tried to keep his emotions in check and look at the destruction of Sunnydale logically.  Angel, on the other hand, closed the shades and sat in his chair, an unspoken fear consuming his thoughts.  Neither spoke until the newsbreak had ended and the channel returned to regular programming.

"Do you think they made it," Wesley asked calmly, even though Angel could tell that the former watcher was about ready to come apart at the seams.

"They have to be…we can't even think of the alternative," Angel answered more with hope in his voice than any certainty.  Wesley was about to ask another question when Angel's phone rang.  "Yeah…speaking…what, okay slow down…okay we'll be right there," Angel stammered out as the person on the other end of the phone was speaking a mile a minute.

"Who was that," Wesley asked politely as he looked back at Angel as he began to slowly flip through the channels, hoping to find something more about the destruction of Sunnydale.  Angel's face darkened before he responded.

"An informant…there's something big killing demons and humans alike down in the warehouse district, my informant says that he'll tell us the rest when we get there," Angel replied with a very serious look on his face.  A look that the two and a half century old vampire usually got when he felt that a tremendous amount of danger was imminent, a danger that there was no conceivable way of avoiding.  

"Should I go tell Fred and Gunn," Wesley asked nervously as he ran a hand through his hair and turned off the television before tossing the remote back onto Angel's desk.  

"No…you and I can handle this one…I hope, just tell them to get over to the Hyperion, if Buffy and the others made it then that's where they'd go," Angel glowered with a worried frown on his face as he stood up and stormed out of the room, without pushing his chair back in.  Wesley followed closely behind, trying to push the negative feelings that threatened to drown him to the back of his mind.  

About twenty minutes later, after Wesley had told Gunn and Fred what Angel had wanted him to tell them and the two had taken a ton of medical supplies and left for their old headquarters, Angel pulled one of his newest vehicles under the overhang of one of the old rundown factories and shut the engine off.  Wesley initially only took a crossbow in with him, but Angel could smell the gun oil clearly enough to know that Wesley was also packing both his pistols and his shotgun underneath his coat.  For his part Angel hid two small throwing axes, in the small of his back underneath his coat, along with his usual long sword.  The two slowly made their way into the nearest warehouse before Wesley voiced a concern.

"Angel…are you sure that this isn't a trap," Wesley asked with a concerned frown on his face as he slowly looked around the decrepit old warehouse, trying to make sure that the two were alone.

"No…but even if it is someone went through a whole lot of trouble to get us here…and I want to know who…," Angel replied coldly as he strained his vampiric senses to the max in his sweep of the premises.

"Then the time has come for you to find out Angelus…," A low rumbling voice bellowed from seemingly everywhere, sending Wesley and Angel almost into a panic.

"Angel…that voice…it can't be…you killed it…," Wesley stammered out more from confusion than actual fear before he swallowed hard and clicked the safety's off of his two pistols.  

"You only thought you did Angelus…didn't you think that it was just a little…to…easy," The low booming voice continued, almost in a mocking way, as it seemed to be getting closer and closer.

"Whoever you are…show yourself," Angel growled angrily as what little patience he had was rapidly evaporating.  

"I will soon enough…but first…here's a little example of my power," The voice added with a very arrogant tone to it before the ground started to rumble.  Wesley and Angel could only watch in abject horror as day slowly turned into night once more.  Wesley rushed to a window to confirm his worst suspicion.

"My God…the sun's been blocked out…again," Wesley gasped out with the fear readily visible on his face as Angel gritted his teeth and slipped his game face on.  

"That is just a mere parlor trick…a small fraction of my true power," The voice mockingly added before Wesley and Angel spun around and came face to face with the owner of the voice.

"No…you're dead…Faith told me…," Wesley exclaimed quickly as his heart began to race.  

"I killed you…," Angel growled angrily as he took a step forward and raised his sword, nervously waiting for an opening to strike.  

"No…you didn't," The voice laughed with a mocking tone to its voice before it lifted a rock encrusted hand and surged forward on its hooves.  

"Then we'll just have to do something about that," Wesley exclaimed in defiance before he lifted his crossbow to fire off a bolt but never got to do so as the Beast blocked Angel's first strike easily with its arm before swinging its arm into Wesley's ribs.  With the sickly sound of ribs cracking and breaking Wesley was flung back a great distance before he crashed through an old stained glass window.

"Wesley…," Angel shouted at almost the top of his lungs before he lunged at the Beast again, only to have it laugh at him as it knocked his sword out of his hands and wrapped the opposite hand around his throat, lifting him off of the ground.

"Pathetic," The Beast growled under its breath as it locked gazes with Angel, all the while tightening the grip on the vampire's neck.

*                          *                          *                         *                          *                       *

She could feel pain.  Funny considering the fact that's he was dead.  Or at least she thought she was dead.  She remembered the curved blade being rammed through her back and then everything went black.   The next thing she had known had been that cold, void space.  She thought that she would be alone there forever until Cordelia and then Spike showed up.  Joyce's appearance had been a complete shock, and then had come her question, would she choose to go back to the man that she loved, the man that had stood her up at the alter, or choose an entirely new path in life.  At this point the pain pushed all of those thoughts out of her mind.  Her only thought being to alleviate the pain that she found herself in.  She cautiously opened one and then the other, shocked to find herself pinned up a rather large slab of concrete.  Looking down she let out an angry moan.

"Look at this shirt…I got blood all over it…now it's ruined," Anya moaned sadly as she shook her head as best she could before she tried to yell out for help.  At first it didn't seem like a soul had heard her, but then she heard someone yell out a curse and her hopes lifted.  "Hey…whoever you are…get this thing off of me," she shouted pleadingly as she hoped that whoever it was would come to her aid before the large concrete slab could smash her.  She heard a grumbled reply, and the faint smell of leather and cigarettes before the large slab was slowly lifted off of her.  "Thank you I…Spike," Anya started to say with as polite a tone as she could muster without feeling it to corny before she looked up into the eyes of the now alive Spike, standing in the sunlight covered in patches of drying blood.  His hair was a bright pink, garnered from the bloody mixing with his blond hair.  Anya blushed deeply and tried to look away, but kept sneaking a few peeks back, when she noticed that Spike was completely naked, save for an oddly familiar small silver cross that hung from a battered chain around his neck.  Spike didn't seem to notice his lack of clothing until the third part of the odd trio arrived.

"Well…guess that explains Buffy's fascination with vampires…," Cordelia chimed in with a very happy grin on her face as she blushed deeply and tried not to look.  That comment finally seemed to snap Spike out of the doldrums that he was stuck in.  Frantically looking around he pulled what was left of a robe off of one of the bringers and slipped it over his head with a sickly grimace on his face.

"Guess he really is William the bloody now," Anya chimed in with an amused smirk on her face at the sight of Spike covered in patches of drying blood.  Cordelia and Spike pretended not to notice the bad pun before Spike spoke up. 

"Smells like something died," Spike muttered angrily as he wrinkled up his nose before looking back up at the two women in front of him.  

"Something did…see, a one of those ugly bringers, hopefully the one that stabbed me," Anya started to say with a joking smirk before her expression became very serious and she looked as if she were about to cry.  Straightening up suddenly Anya instead walked over and gave the dead bringer a few good kicks before starting to collapse to her knees as tears poured down her cheeks.

"Whoa now…what's with the waterworks…," Spike exclaimed with a thin look of anger on his face as he moved forward and caught the ex-vengeance demon in his arms as she sobbed into his chest.  From a few feet away a startled Cordelia could only use the confused look on her face and a shrug of her shoulders to try and ask Spike what was going on.  Before he could answer Anya backed away from Spike and gave Cordelia the answer to her question.

"Sorry about that…just got a little emotional for a second, it's just a little weird coming back from the dead," Anya said calmly as she stopped crying and wiped away a few stray tears before sniffling.  

"Tell me about it," Spike muttered sarcastically as he kicked the nearest bringer in the head before Cordelia cried out in pain.  "What is it…what's wrong," Spike asked with a concerned and confused look on his face.

"Nnh…oh no…it's happening again…," Cordelia mumbled out with a pained grimace on her face as she clutched her head and slammed her eyes shut.  Spike and Anya looked to each other with the same confused frown.  "The Beast has returned…we have to go to L.A….now," Cordelia continued with a horrified and frantic look on her face as she opened her eyes and started to turn around.

"Why…what's the big hurry," Anya asked with an almost bored look on her face as she pulled some hair off of her face that the light breeze had blown.  

"If we don't hurry everyone…Angel…Xander…even Buffy and Dawn will die," Cordelia replied with an extremely impatient scowl on her face before Spike snapped to attention.  

"Then what the hell are we standing around here for, let's go," Spike exclaimed with an alarmed look on his face before the three tore off towards the edge of the crater, hoping to find some means of transportation away from the destroyed city before it was to late.

*                       *                      *                          *                     *                   *              *

Giles had piloted the bus to almost the outskirts of Los Angeles before the day turned into night.  At first everyone on the bus, save one, looked on in awe and fascination.  Willow even went so far as to wake Kennedy up for it so that the two could gaze up at the odd occurrence together.  Sitting a few seats back from the driver's seat Andrew started to postulate as to what the event could be and what could be causing it.  Wood pointed it out to Faith just as the two were leaning in for a kiss, causing her to curse bitterly. 

"Fuck…," Faith growled bitterly as she began almost flying from one side of the bus to another, looking all around and up towards the direction of the sun.  

"You've seen this before…haven't you," Wood asked with a growing look of concern on his face before he coughed painfully and leaned back up against the back of his seat.  Faith didn't verbally answer him; her only response was to solemnly nod her head before racing to the front of the bus, followed closely by Buffy, who had finally snapped out of her semi-coma.

"What's happening…why'd it go dark," Dawn asked Buffy with a worried and scared look on her face as she propped herself up on her knees on her seat to get a better view.

"I don't know Dawnie…but whatever it is we'll find out…but don't worry, everything will be okay…," Buffy replied with a forced look of calm on her face, a look that Faith easily saw right through.  

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch B…this is some wicked shit alright…and if it's anything like what happened the last time then we're in for one hell of a fight," Faith said with a dreadfully serious look on her face as she purposefully avoided the confused and scared gazes of everyone in the front of the bus.

"What do you mean the last time…you mean this has happened before," Giles asked with a startled look on his face as it was apparent that the old watcher was trying to figure out how something of that magnitude had happened so close without his knowing.  

"Yeah…when Wes…visited me he told me all about it…sun gets blotted out and L.A. becomes a demon and vampire paradise, they get free reign," Faith answered with an unaccustomed look of concern and worry on her face as she only looked at Buffy.

"You said this…thing…happened before…how'd it end…I mean who…stopped it, brought back the sun," Buffy stumbled through her question as she was desperately trying to process the level of the threat so close after the one that they had just faced.

"Angelus killed the Beast with a knife made from one of its bones…nearly let the damn thing finish me off first to boot, then he got the genius idea to come after me, luckily I was able to shed a little light on the matter…until Wesley could get to me," Faith recanted the important bits and pieces of her previous encounter with Angelus and the Beast with a very serious look in her eye.  A look that seemed to soften as she spoke of her former watcher, giving Buffy the impression that most likely Wesley had saved her life.  

"Angelus…what…," Buffy stammered out with a worried and slightly angry look on her face as she turned from the front of the bus and looked back at first Faith and then Willow.

"It's why I went to L.A. in the first place, to give Angel back his soul…but like you said he…he's all better now," Willow said, stuttering a bit at times, as she tried to find the right words for her answer.  

"Uh…who's Angel…and who's Wesley," Kennedy asked calmly, holding her hand up as if she were back in school.  For a split second Buffy feared that Faith would reach over and slap Kennedy upside the head.  But thankfully the rogue slayer calmed down before answering.

"Angel was B's first love…then the whole vampire with a soul and a happiness clause left Sunnydale and set up shop in L.A., Wesley…well he…he…was my watcher…before I went rogue…and did some things that I'd rather not talk about," Faith said slowly and deliberately, not revealing to much to fast as she doubted that Buffy wanted her early romantic history recounted like a story told around a campfire.  

"So we find Wesley and Angel and they'll know what to do," Xander asked with a worried frown on his face as he peered out of the dust caked bus windows at Los Angeles.  

"That's the plan…let's just hope we're not to late," Buffy replied with a very frustrated and worried look on her face as she sat down next to Dawn and sighed deeply.  The darkness continued to descend as the solitary school bus made its way into the heart of the city of angels.

END OF CHAPTER 2


	3. Pain And Pleasant Surprises

THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.  
  
CHAPTER 3-PAIN AND PLEASANT SURPRISES  
  
Drip. Drip. Drip. Plop. Those sickly sounds greeted Wesley's slow and awkward return to consciousness. His head felt like it had been put through a rock tumbler. His chest felt like it was on fire. At first his memory was hazy, allowing him to remember only the last few seconds of the fight. He remembered getting slapped back into the air and crashing through what appeared to be an old stained glass window. For a few seconds his worst fears seemed to be true, because the first few times that he tried to move his arms and legs he found that nothing moved. Grunting in pain and determination and trying again he was able to move his right arm enough to discover that he was apparently trapped under something. But even those first few fleeting movements with his arm sent white hot needles of pain through his chest, causing him to cough and choke. Over his rough and chapped lips he tasted a good deal of blood, his blood. Despite the pain he cautiously opened one eye and quickly wished that he hadn't. His first glimpse of the world after the attack was not a good one. He found himself at the top of scaffolding, staring down at a five gallon bucket that once held only rainwater, but it now held a fair amount of his own blood. Each small drop of blood continuing to fall into the bucket until the rainwater could no longer be differentiated from the blood.  
  
Hesitantly he lifted his hand up to his temple and hissed in pain as his hand came into contact with the wound. As he looked up he could see the sun through the skylight, covered just as it had been only weeks earlier, blocking out almost all of the light. Deciding that he couldn't stay where he was much longer, and worried about what had happened to Angel, Wesley slowly and painfully managed to dislodge himself and slowly make his way down the scaffolding. He got down to the ground level only to initially have his legs go out from under him. After catching his breath for a few minutes Wesley tried to stand again, and this time his legs held, albeit a little wobbly. Leaning on boxes and support beams he slowly made his way back out into the main floor area of the old factory. It didn't take long for him to spot what looked like Angel's lifeless body smashed right through a large number of old shipping crates. The two and a half century old vampire looked to have been roughed up quite a bit. Wesley was about to try to stagger over to him when Angel suddenly sat up with a pained grimace on his face, of which half of it looked like one giant bruise.  
  
"Okay.now I'm a little confused here.didn't we kill that guy already," Angel tried to growl angrily, but with the injuries that he had sustained it ended up coming out more as a pathetic whimper.  
  
"Angelus killed him with a knife made from his own body.several weeks ago, I don't have a bloody clue how.or why he's back," Wesley replied sourly before the pain in his chest became to great and he had to slide to the floor.  
  
"I don't care about the how right now.it's the why that scares me, but right now we.have to get back to the Hyperion, tell Gunn and Fred that ole horn-head is back," Angel said calmly before wincing in pain as he used the shattered remains of the crates to pull himself to his feet.  
  
"Or we could just stay here and bleed to death.that's always an option," Wesley interjected with a sarcastic smirk on his face before he caught the unimpressed glower that Angel cast his way.  
  
"Not on my watch.I'm a champion remember.," Angel said back with a half smile on his face as he made his way over to Wesley and helped the ex- watcher to his feet. "You okay.you look like hell," Angel added with a concerned frown on his face as he pushed past the overwhelming appeal of all of the blood and helped Wesley out towards the car.  
  
"Never.better, and you," Wesley lied back with the best grin that he could manage before he passed out.  
  
"Can't complain.exactly," Angel said with a very unhappy frown on his face before he slid Wesley into the passenger's seat and then painfully jumped behind the wheel, wincing at pain that the action caused. Seconds later the engine roared and he raced off towards the Hyperion.  
  
* * *  
* * *  
  
Anya was first to make it to the edge of the crater, mostly because Spike had found it extremely difficult to run while wearing a robe and Cordelia had never liked running anyway. The trek out of the crater had taken a bit longer than they had expected, partially because along the way they had stopped to check out anything that looked like it was still intact. Miraculously Spike had found a couple of things that he had never thought would have made it. Both items he had slid into a bag that he slung over his should, refusing to elaborate on why he was bringing them with him. Anya thought that she recognized one of the items but didn't press the matter any further. Cordelia used the time beside the former vampire to try and get out of him what exactly had happened in Sunnydale. She kept asking question after question, seemingly not believing what Spike was telling her. For his part Spike utilized the time to try and glean as much about what Angel had been up to since leaving Sunnydale. It wasn't that he truly cared that much but he knew that when he ran into him again it'd be best to know a little bit more than he did. Cordelia and Anya threw in a few more items, mostly trinkets that Anya swore that she would pawn off and split the money, with the remaining items being a dusty cell phone and a few stray wallets that Anya deftly relieved of their money and credit cards.  
  
When Spike and Cordelia finally got to Anya's side the former vengeance demon was kneeling beside two feet that were sticking out from under a pile of rubble. For some unknown reason Anya was busy trying to clear the debris from on top of the person. Cordelia thought about telling Anya that she was crazy and that the person was dead. But she and Spike ended up pitching in to help when they heard a muffled moan from underneath the rubble. The trio dug frantically as Spike moved most of the bigger pieces of debris thanks to his slayer strength. As they continued to dig the identity of the person that they were trying to rescue started to come into focus. With the thought of how could a person have possibly survived the blast in the back of his mind Spike carefully lifted off the last piece of debris.  
  
"Hey wait.I know her.," Anya cried out with a cross between a happy and confused look on her face as she knelt down beside the young woman. Spike and Cordelia exchanged a puzzled glance before they knelt down as well.  
  
"She does seem familiar.," Spike muttered softly with a deep in thought look on his face before the young woman mumbled something. The words that she spoke were garbled at best, incoherent, but the sound of her voice sent Spike spiraling back into his memory to one night in particular. It was the night that he and Buffy had taken a few of the potentials to train. It had been a night shortly after Buffy had rescued him from the First's clutches. That night Spike had seen the first cracks beginning to form in the wall that Buffy had put up around herself where he was concerned. From when she had been overly worried about him after she had tackled him and slid her hand underneath his shirt to see what was wrong, that act had ended with the two holding hands and gazing deeply into each other eyes. Then that moment of tranquility had been interrupted when one of the potentials had asked if they were supposed to like make out with them then. Buffy hadn't said anything in response, only helped him to his feet and continued the exercises. "Now I remember her.Molly," Spike said slowly as he nearly choked on the name. Unbeknownst to the trio a man clad in full military gear sat in a jeep studying them with high powered binoculars.  
  
"This is Finn.I've got a positive visual on four survivors.hostile 17 is among them, better send a full team, we should consider them dangerous," The man said into a radio before grabbing his machine gun and getting out of the jeep.  
  
* * * *  
* * *  
  
With Faith's help Giles steered the bus through the narrow streets of Los Angeles towards the Hyperion. Buffy took the time by going back and forth through the bus, taking stock of everyone's situation. Rona was still hurt but looked to be improving while Robin seemed to be worsening, despite his comments to the contrary. Faith kept casting nervous glances back his way but stayed at the front of the bus, even though Willow had offered to be Giles' guide. Kennedy, Xander, and Andrew took to trying to figure out what exactly was happening by listening and watching the people reaction's that they passed by.  
  
"Is it just me.or does it feel like we just stepped out of the frying pan.," Xander started to say with a very worried shrug of his shoulders as he looked back and forth between Kennedy and Andrew.  
  
"And stepped right into the fire.," Kennedy interjected finishing his thought with a grim look on her face before Willow turned around and laid a supportive hand on her shoulder.  
  
"We'll be fine once we get to the Hyperion, Angel will know what to do.or at least have a better idea of what to do," Willow added with a fake look of confidence on her face.  
  
"Sorry Will.but if this is what I think it is then it's only just begun.and Angel's going to need our help every bit as much as we're going to need his," Faith interrupted with a deadly serious frown on her face before she pointed to a street and Giles slowed the bus down before making the turn.  
  
"Any chance you're wrong about this Faith.," Xander said, asking the question that everyone within earshot of the formerly rogue slayer had wanted to ask but didn't have the courage to.  
  
"Sorry to burst your bubble guys.but all I know about this is what Wesley told me after he helped spring me.he didn't sound to confident about our chances then.and even with Angel and.Co.uh me.we barely made it," Faith started to say with a look on her face that one would wear when they were trying to gently break bad news to someone. At the end of her response a brief flash of memory screamed into her mind but was gone as quickly as it had come. Shrugging it off she turned back towards the front of the bus and pointed towards and old building up ahead. "There it is," Faith shouted in triumph as she smiled and pointed towards the building. Beside her Willow nodded her head with a sigh of relief before Giles pulled the bus to a stop in front of an old iron gate.  
  
"Okay we're here, everybody out of the bus," Buffy announced with her most authoritative voice as Giles shut the engine off and opened the side door.  
  
"Get the wounded out first.Vi help Andrew get Rona," Faith added with a serious look on her face before she exited the bus and ran around to the back. Faith started to open the back door but stopped by the honking of a car horn. Faith started to turn around angrily, with a very scathing remark on the tip of her tongue, but ended up nearly choking on the words when she saw Angel pull up in front of her.  
  
"Angel.," Buffy said with a nervous sigh of relief and smile on her face before he shut the engine off and climbed over the door.  
  
"Wes.Angel what happened," Faith nearly shouted in fear and alarm as she rushed to her former watcher's side and began to take note of his condition.  
  
"We ran into an old friend.the Beast," Angel replied with a very sour frown on his face before he deftly avoided Buffy's attempts to lightly touch the large bruise on his face. Buffy started to softly ask a question but Faith hurried and worried voice broke in and interrupted her.  
  
"The Beast.but I saw you.I mean Angelus kill him.how.," Faith stuttered out abruptly before Wesley's eyes shot open and he took in a pained breath.  
  
"I don't know.but we should get inside before the real fireworks begin," Angel answered with a confused and worried look on his face as he walked around the front of the car and helped Faith get a groggy Wesley to his feet.  
  
"Real fireworks.Angel what's going on here.," Buffy asked with her usual stubborn look on her face, the look that first Angel and then Spike had grown to know extremely well. It was the look that she always wore when she wanted answers and wasn't about to let up even the slightest bit until she got them. Angel started to answer her but was interrupted by Gunn and Fred as the two came rushing out of the Hyperion and tore around the corner.  
  
"Angel.the sun it's.Wesley," Fred started to babble out nervously before she nearly fainted at the sight of a bloody Wesley and Angel.  
  
"I know.I don't know exactly how but the Beast is back and the sun going black is only the beginning, now we need to get everyone inside before the rain of fire starts," Angel replied with a very stern look on his face and tone to his face before Gunn nodded his head and turned to help Giles assist Robin towards the hotel.  
  
"The Beast.but.how much time do you think we have," Fred started to ask with a confused look on her face before she steeled herself and let her scientific side take over. All the while Fred kept a worried eye on Wesley as Faith and Angel carried him away from the car, with Buffy trailing behind, a million questions on the tip of her tongue, just waiting to be asked.  
  
"I don't know.I'm kind of playing this by ear.," Angel answered with a slightly overwhelmed frown on his face as he passed a startled Willow and Kennedy.  
  
"So what else is new," Buffy exclaimed sadly from behind that made Angel stop for a second before continuing.  
  
By the time Angel and Faith carried the now half alert Wesley into the lobby Fred, along with Dawn, were already tending to many of the wounded and an overwhelmed looking Lorne stood behind the counter on the phone. Giles and Gunn had set Robin down on the bottom step of the staircase that led up to the second level. When she and Angel carried Wesley up the stairs Faith all but ignored the confused look on Robin's face. Willow opened the first door that they came to and Faith and Angel sidestepped into the room before Willow rushed into the bathroom and started to gather up the towels, dampening one before returning. Kennedy soon burst into the room, her arms laden with what medical supplies Fred could spare. Angel tiredly ran a hand through his hair before Kennedy added her two cents.  
  
"That's your former watcher.he doesn't look so good," Kennedy said with an unimpressed frown on her face before dropping the supplies onto the bed and taking a quick step back to get away from Faith's angry glare.  
  
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious Kennedy.what about next time you just keep your opinions to yourself," Faith said angrily before Giles walked into the room and stood with a confused frown on his face, gazing down on a still groggy Wesley.  
  
"That cut on his temple looks pretty bad, maybe you should get him to a hospital," Buffy exclaimed worriedly before Angel shook his head and turned to Willow, who handed Faith the wet towel just as Giles sat down on the opposite side of the bed from Faith.  
  
"We don't have time.pretty soon it's going to get pretty hairy out there.and we're going to need Wesley up and around if we're going to get out this alive.Willow, is there anything that you can do for him.magically I mean.a healing spell of some sort," Angel asked quickly, seeming more like a military commander than a two hundred and fifty year old vampire with a soul that was worried about his friend.  
  
"I.I think so.but it could be dangerous.," Willow stuttered out nervously as she handed the rest of the towels. With a worried grimace on her face Faith began to carefully dab at the blood on Wesley's forehead.  
  
"Just do it," Angel nearly shouted back angrily before he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, an equally shocked and angry Buffy on his heels. After the two had left Giles placed his hand on Faith's, stopping her from her work.  
  
"Willow, Kennedy, and I will take care of Wesley.don't you think that you should go and check on Robin," Giles asked softly before Faith nervously nodded her head and handed Giles the wet towel before jumping off of the bed and running out of the room.  
  
"I don't know if I can do this Giles, I'll have to recite the spells from memory and even then I can't guarantee anything.sorry but it's the best that I can do," Willow said slowly and nervously as she shrugged her shoulders before Kennedy wrapped her arms around her shoulders and squeezed supportively.  
  
"Then that'll have to be enough," Giles answered softly with a nervous frown on his face as he looked up from the bedside. Downstairs Robin was watching Dawn help Fred put a gauze patch on Rona's shoulder when Faith descended the stairs, wiping Wesley's blood on her jeans, an act that caused her stomach to tie itself in knots.  
  
"Sorry about that.," Faith said nervously as she sat down beside Robin and he turned his head back towards her.  
  
"Don't worry about it.I know what the bond between a slayer and her watcher is like.so how is he," Robin asked softly with a kind smile on his face as he leaned his shoulder into Faith's.  
  
"Other than being half dead he's doing okay," Faith answered with a well disguised look of fear in her eyes as she looked back over her shoulder up the stairs.  
  
"So why didn't you tell me about him earlier.," Robin started to ask before wincing in pain, an act that caught Faith's attention. She motioned to Fred and Dawn before answering.  
  
"Not much to tell really.Wes and I were never really that close," Faith said softly in her usual voice that seemed to act like she didn't have a care in the world.  
  
"But yet you seemed pretty scared when you first saw him outside," Robin said with an unimpressed frown on his face before leaning back so that Fred could start to examine his wound. Faith hesitated nervously for a few seconds before answering, and when she did she made sure that she didn't look Robin in the eye, an act that only furthered his confusion.  
  
"I owe him.big time, and I didn't want him to die without me having a chance to pay him back.that's all," Faith lied with a joking smile on her face before Angel walked out of the hotel with Buffy hot on his heels.  
  
"What the hell is going on here Angel.who is the Beast.and who gave you the right to yell order Willow around like that," Buffy asked angrily as she grabbed Angel's arm and forced him to turn around and face her.  
  
"Would you believe that you stopped one apocalypse in Sunnydale only to step right into another.by the way.where's Spike," Angel asked weakly as he avoided Buffy's angry gaze. Buffy started to yell something angrily before her shoulders slumped noticeably and she turned and started to slowly walk away, a torrent of tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. "Buffy.what is it, what's wrong," Angel asked, more softly now as he followed her and laid a hand on her shoulder. He was surprised to see that when she turned around her cheeks were wet with tears. "What did he do this time.," Angel started to ask angrily before Buffy interrupted him by shaking her head.  
  
"He.he's gone Angel.he's gone, he wore the amulet that you gave me and destroyed the hellmouth.and now I have to take care of all of these girls and I don't know what to do next.," Buff said through her tears before burying her face into Angel's chest. Angel wracked his brain for something, anything, to say that would calm her down, but the best that he could come up with, even if he didn't entirely believe it, was, "I'm sorry.but just remember, you're not alone.we'll get through this.one way or another."  
  
END OF CHAPTER 3 


	4. A Much Needed Talk X 2

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I create.**

**Author's Note:  If you're wondering about why Molly is back well she was my favorite potential before she died and in this story she plays an important part.  And the pairings will show up pretty soon, if you haven't figured one of them out already.  As always reviews are greatly appreciated.**

**CHAPTER 4-A MUCH NEEDED TALK X 2**

It was a few hours, and a couple of boxes of tissues later, before Buffy had recanted everything that had happened between her and Spike that Angel never knew about.  For his part Angel stood silently, leaning slightly on the railing, with an ever increasing look of angst on his face.  He could barely believe what he was hearing.  His mind raced as he tried to figure out how it was possible for the things that Buffy was saying to have ever happened.  He knew that Spike had gotten the soul because she had told him so before he had returned to Los Angeles to start the second front, a front that he never truly ever started to form.  Whenever Buffy would get to a particularly difficult part Angel would lean in close and wrap an arm around Buffy's shoulders and draw her close, puzzling at how tiny she suddenly seemed.  Faith had started to go outside and ask the pair what the holdup was but a determined Xander had stood in her way and vehemently refused to budge until Angel and Buffy were done talking.  Faith tried threatening him but the carpenter stood firm, bolstered at the end by an extremely nervous Andrew.  

When Buffy got to the night in the bathroom where Spike had tried to force himself on her she started out confidently enough, but when she tried to explain her feelings in the aftermath she lost it and could only sob for several minutes.  At hearing about what his grandchilde had tried to do Angel became extremely angry that Spike was gone, feeling that if he were still around Angel would have left and dusted him on sight.  When she composed herself Buffy had continued the tale, trying to explain to Angel that she didn't entirely blame Spike for what he had done.  Before Angel could argue the point Buffy added what she thought were her own list of transgressions that led to that horrible night.  At that Angel had loudly cleared his throat, ready to counter her claims.  But Buffy had been quicker and launched into the rest of the story, taking great pains to slowly tell the last few moments of Spike's life exactly as she remembered them.  Through it all Angel stood firm, but upon hearing how nobly Spike had died, he could no longer look Buffy in the eye, instead he hung his head and stared at his feet.  

*                            *                           *                          *                            *                     *

After Willow had cast a few healing spells everyone had left the room, hoping that Wesley would use the time to catch up on his sleep.  And for a time he did, but awoke when he heard the door softly open and then the faint smell of roses wafted through the room.  He knew it wasn't Willow, she would still smell like some of the spell components that she had used for the healing spell.  Dawn wouldn't have any reason for checking on him other than if Fred had sent her.  He knew that Fred would be more than busy helping the wounded and Buffy would undoubtedly have pulled Angel aside to have a private conversation.  He highly doubted that it was one of the potentials as they would most likely have little curiosity at this point.  Without opening his eyes he listened carefully as whomever it was crept closer to him.  As she crept closer her identity blared itself into his mind.  It was the faint smell of the shampoo that she had used hours earlier.  Even though it had been hours since she had used the shampoo Wesley knew the scent because it was the same as the shampoo that he used.  He knew that after her shower in his apartment Faith had jammed a bottle of shampoo into one of her bags, refraining from asking him if it was alright.  He hadn't wanted to aggravate the situation any further at that time so he had let it slide.  When she turned to leave he slightly opened one eye and looked over to see Faith starting to slowly creep away, the oddly darkened sunlight filtering in through the curtains and blinds cast odd shapes across her small frame.  

"Shouldn't you be downstairs with your boyfriend," Wesley mumbled just loudly enough with the best smug grin that he could manage in his condition.  Willow's spells had worked wonders but it would most likely be days before he was back to normal, that is if Willow continued to cast the spells every day.  Wesley chuckled a bit softly to himself as he saw Faith stop in her tracks abruptly and turn around, an almost scared look on her face.  

"He's not...I mean…he is…not…," Faith stuttered back her response at first before she shrugged her shoulders and replaced the almost scared look on her face with her usual extremely self assured look.  "Enough about Robin…I thought Giles said that you were supposed to be resting, not pushing my buttons," Faith added proudly with a confident scowl on her face as she crossed her arms and leaned more heavily onto one foot.

"Guess I struck a nerve…lucky me," Wesley mumbled out softly with a humorous tone to his voice as he struggled to sit up.

"Yeah lucky you…taking on the Beast with Angel and nearly getting yourself killed, that's what I'd call luck…," Faith exclaimed angrily as he leaned forward slightly to try and further emphasize her point.

"I have to get to work…we must have missed something…translated a prophecy wrong…hand me my wallet will you," Wesley said painfully as he slowly and cautiously swung his legs over the side of the bed.  Begrudgingly Faith did as he asked and retrieved his wallet, but her curiosity overtook her and she opened it, gazing intently at an old beat up photograph.

"Who're the Walton's," Faith asked softly as she turned on the small lamp by the bed to get a better look at the picture.  Wesley stared at her with a confused frown on his face for a few seconds before shrugging his shoulders.  

"It's a picture of me and my parents…back when I was a child…in fact that picture represents the last time that I could truthfully say that I didn't hate my father," Wesley said, his voice almost completely absent of any emotion other than sad bitterness, as he stared off into space.  That revelation seemed to only confuse Faith.  

"Why would you hate your father…I thought…," Faith asked with a confused look on her face as she slowly walked around the foot of the bed.

"Nothing I ever did was good enough for him…he always said that I'd never amount to anything…no one would ever love me, that after all of my failures I didn't deserve to be happy," Wesley said bitterly as if  every memory still stung as much as the day that they had been inflicted.  

"The First said that pretty much the same thing to me back in Sunnydale," Faith said softly with a sad frown on her face as she sat down beside Wesley and kept her gaze locked on the small photograph.

"What…," Wesley asked with a confused and concerned frown on his face as he turned his attention completely to Faith, who fidgeted a bit and looked away at first before responding. 

"Back in Sunnydale…when the First was trying to destroy our resolve…it came to me looking like Mayor Wilkins…told me pretty much what you just said…that I'd never amount to anything…that I'd always be a killer…a murderer…and that I'd always be second best behind Buffy…that no one would ever want me…," Faith mumbled sadly as she intentionally kept her gaze from Wesley's face.  Wesley regarded Faith with a sympathetic frown on his face for a few seconds before he found his voice.

"It's true that you'll have to live with the actions of your past for the rest of your life, but you're not the only one in that predicament…I don't know if Willow told you this…but last summer when I was looking for Angel I kept a woman chained up in my closet…with only a bucket," Wesley said, his voice a little shaky, slowly as he started out looking straight into the back of Faith's head before she turned around and stared back at him with a look of shock and concern in her dark brown eyes.

"Well…uh…damn Wes…that's just…shit…," Faith stammered out before she ran to the end of her current thought pattern and cursed in anger and shock.  Wesley chuckled a bit before he ran a hand nervously through his hair and winced at the pain it caused.

"After Angel and Cordelia disappeared I spent the entire summer searching for them, I had an idea where Angel was because I ran across someone that had helped him to disappear…Justine…she was the one that…," Wesley said with a tired look on his face as Faith handed him his wallet back.  Faith looked at him with a confused look on her face for a few seconds before Wesley reluctantly pointed out his scar, and then watched as Faith's eyes first grew to slits and then wide open in shock.  "For some strange reason I don't remember exactly how it happened…all I remember is that Justine was the one that slit my throat…," Wesley added grimly before slipping his wallet back into his pocket and un-holstering his guns.  

"So what happened to Justine…," Faith asked with a concerned frown on her face as she turned towards him and pulled one knee up onto the bed.  

"If she's smart she's long gone from here…after we pulled Angel out of the bay I let her go…forgive and forget and all that," Wesley replied with a tired shrug of his shoulders before Faith inched closer and asked her next question.

"Wait a minute…you let her go…after she did that to you…I would've…," Faith started to growl angrily before Wesley held up a hand and interrupted her.

"If I would have used that logic with you Faith you would have been dead long ago…as for Justine well…," Wesley said with a small smirk curling the edges of his mouth before Faith's attention was turned to the window. 

"What the hell," Faith asked nervously as she stood up and walked over to the window before fully pulling up the blinds.  Wesley only half turned his head and his fears were confirmed by the fireballs that screamed past the window.

"The rain of fire…it happened the last time we faced the Beast to," Wesley answered, as if to him the sky raining down huge balls of fire was no big deal, as he slid off the edge of the bed and joined Faith at the window.

"This is bad…how do we stop this," Faith asked with a very nervous look on her face that she tried her best to hide but Wesley easily saw through it.

"We don't…we can only wait until it's over," Wesley said softly with the grim look of worry on his face mirroring the one on Faith's face. Faith leaned in closer to the window and pressed the palm of her right hand flat against the window.

"I can see why you came to get me earlier…speaking of which…should I be expecting the police to come barging in here and trying to drag my ass back to jail sometime soon," Faith asked with a reluctant frown on her face as she seemed to expect it to happen any minute.

"Your ass is staying right here Faith…after we gained control of the L.A. branch of Wolfram and Hart I took the opportunity to look into getting you a pardon…I even went so far as to file a few papers in state court…if all goes well you'll be a free woman in a few months," Wesley said with a slowly growing grin on his face, one that only continued to grow as he saw how nervous then excited his words made Faith.  

"But…why would you…," Faith whispered back softly, as unbeknownst to either one the two had leaned in close to each other and were now only a few inches apart.

"You're far too important to simply be locked up for the rest of your life," Wesley whispered back as Faith lifted her gaze up to lock onto his.

"I'm not so important anymore…B and I activated all of the potentials…there's hundreds of slayers now…," Faith whispered back sadly as she started to hang her head, but Wesley acted first and propped her chin up with one hand before replying.

"You and Buffy did what you thought was best at the time…now we have to wait and see if you made the right choice…I'd say that since you're standing here beside me looking all scared and vulnerable…," Wesley mumbled softly with an amused smirk on his face as he cocked his head to one side and gazed down at Faith, who stared back up at him at first with a somewhat shocked and confused look on her face.

"Scared and vulnerable…not in a million years Wes…if anyone's vulnerable here it's you…ya know if I wanted to I could rip all of your clothes off and show you a few tricks that I picked up over the years…squeeze you until your eyeballs popped," Faith replied with her usual playful smirk and an added glint of excitement in her eye.  Almost as soon as Faith had finished speaking her exact words, and the fact that she had edged even closer to her former watcher, her left hip touching his right, sent a bolt of shock through her body.  

"Wouldn't be the worst way to spend five minutes of my time," Wesley shot back with a smug grin spread across his face as he momentarily turned his attention back to the spheres of fire plummeting out of the sky.  That comment brought at first a momentary look of shock to form on Faith's face before she broke into a laugh, followed closely behind by Wesley's deeper chuckling.

"What makes you think you'd last that long old man…in your condition and all," Faith snickered back with a confident smirk on her face as she leaned her shoulder up against the window.  

"I'm stronger than I look…just ask Li…never mind…," Wesley started to say with a big grin on his face before he took a second and realized what it was that he was saying and his expression turned to one of loss and regret.  Before the expression on Faith's face could fully match his Wesley turned away and began to slowly limp back towards the bed, suddenly feeling very old and tired.

"Just ask Li…Li who…," Faith asked, suddenly letting her curiosity take over, as she spun around, almost with a hurt look on her face, and beat Wesley back to the bed.

"It doesn't matter right now…I should get some more of that rest that you talked about earlier," Wesley mumbled sadly as he slowly sat back down on the side of the bed.  Before furthering her curiosity Faith slid over a bit, so that she was close enough to make sure that she'd get the answers to her questions.

"You're wrong Wesley it does matter…before you mentioned Li or whatever her name is you and I were…c'mon spill it, who was she…do I know her…," Faith started to say with an almost consoling frown on her face as she then smugly bumped Wesley a bit with her shoulder.

"No you…you did…a long time ago, before you went to prison…," Wesley replied with a growing look of emotion on his face that made him look almost relieved to be telling someone.  "Her name is…no scratch that…was…Lilah Morgan…but…," Wesley continued with a nervous sigh as he tried his best to not look Faith in the eye, a feat that he was finding extremely hard to accomplish with her sitting so close to him.

"Lilah Morgan…that bitch of a lawyer from Wolfram and Hart…her…god Wes…I would have never expected that you and she would…," Faith interjected with a slightly unnerved scowl on her face before she shuddered and looked back down at her hands.  

"Surprise…," Wesley offered back with a meager smile on his face at first before he continued, "You probably don't want to hear about it…seeing as how you should be down in the lobby helping to keep the new slayers calm."  

"They can't Wes…I'm all ears…," Faith said with a  very serious look on her face before she flopped back onto the bed and listened as Wesley reluctantly launched into the sordid tale of how he and Lilah got together.

*                     *                    *                         *                        *                     *                   *

His breathing hard from carrying the unconscious slayer on his shoulder Spike didn't at first notice the sounds of someone following him.  Anya and Cordelia had run off ahead to search through any vehicles that they could find for anything valuable.  The former cheerleader had to be threatened with physical violence before accepting her assignment.  She had left with a threat that if anything bad happened to her that she'd tell Angel.  Anya had commented on how childish the threat had sounded and so Spike had been forced to step in between the two women before a punch or slap was thrown.  The small silver cross still hung at its place of honor, just below Spike's collarbone, but it was joined by several other trinkets that he had picked up along the way. 

The trio had originally intended to find a vehicle and leave right away, but that search hadn't come up with much so Spike had become angry and sat down at the edge of the crater, using what remained of an awning to shield Molly from the sun.  Finally getting a chance to think about the position that he found himself in was full of revelations to Spike.  He had expected that his newfound slayer strength would keep him from getting tired to quickly, but not long after they had found Molly Spike had begun to get tired.  He was surprised by a rumble from his stomach.  He hadn't been physically hungry in that way for well over a hundred years, and the thought suddenly dawned on him that even though he, Anya, Cordelia, and Molly had apparently been fully brought back to life not much else had.  The few bottles of water that they found still intact didn't last very long, as picking through the rough terrain on the way out of the crater, under a sweltering southern California sun, had made them all very thirsty and tired.  His ruminations on being newly human continued until Molly awoke suddenly with a shout.

"Whoa…," Spike shouted in surprise as he tumbled off of the rock that he had been using as a chair.  As he slowly picked himself back up he glared back at the young slayer, who sat wide eyed and speechless as she looked all around before finally setting her sights on Spike.  "You know if you keep your face like that much longer it'll freeze that way," Spike quipped with his usual smug smile spread across his face.

"What…where…how," Molly stammered out with a scared look on her face as she surveyed her ruined surroundings.

"You're still in Sunnydale pet…or what's left of it anyway, don't have a bloody clue as to how you're alive again…," Spike said softly as he tried to be as non threatening as a former century and a half old vampire who had just become the first male slayer in history could be without looking fake. 

"But how…I remember the fight…with Caleb…the knife…he…," Molly mumbled out, still with a scared look on her face, before she partially lifted up her shirt to reveal a perfectly unharmed and pale white stomach.

"Stabbed you I know…you died that night in the vineyard…but for some reason it looks like you get a second chance," Spike replied with a tired frown on his face as he climbed back up onto the rock that he had been sitting on before Molly's outburst.

"Where is everyone…and why aren't you going up like a bloody roman candle," Molly asked meekly as she bit her bottom lip and looked around sadly, hoping that she was truly alive instead of being tricked by the First.

"Because I'm not a vampire anymore…I'm human…well mostly, y'see I won the whole bloody contest…and I guess that becoming a slayer is my prize for helping to stop the apocalypse," Spike answered with a nervous look on his face, as if he were still having a little trouble believing what he was saying.  "Can't say exactly…last thing I remember Buffy and the others left the hellmouth and ran…I don't know what happened after that, who lived and died…or even where they are," Spike continued sadly before he flicked a small pebble off of his pedestal.

"The hellmouth…but how…," Molly asked, this time trying to stand but finding her muscles a little weaker than she had guessed was forced to quickly sit back down.  

"After you died Buffy got herself a new weapon…the scythe…and she led everyone into the hellmouth and with a little trinket we put the hellmouth out of business permanently," Spike replied with a proud and confident chuckle before Molly nervously crawled her way towards him.  Reluctantly Spike scooted over and let Molly sit on the opposite side of the rock.

"So we won then…it's over…," Molly said with a hopeful tone to her voice as she looked around sadly and brushed some dirt off of her jeans.

"Guess so…this isn't exactly how I pictured it but…," Spike said with an unsure frown on his face as he looked around slowly before returning his gaze to the new slayer.  

"So I'm a slayer now…for real…like Buffy and Faith…," Molly asked, now seemingly less concerned with whether or not Spike was telling the truth and more concerned on her current slayer status.

"Looks that way…so how does it feel…is it everything that you thought it'd be," Spike answered with a smug smirk on his face, suddenly very much wanting to puff away on a cigarette, before he quickly added a question of his own.  

"I'm not sure…it's still to…new I guess…but wait, for me to be a slayer wouldn't Buffy or Faith…," Molly exclaimed with a very excited smile on her face at first before a look of almost self loathing and ultimate fear spread itself across her face.

"You've got it all wrong pet…the whole slayer package doesn't work like that any longer…when Red worked her mojo on the scythe the spell made it so that every girl that has the chance to be a slayer became one…all at the same time, so now there's hundreds…if not thousands of slayers running around the world," Spike replied as clearly and deliberately as he thought best to convey the information that he wanted Molly to receive.  

"Cool…," Molly mumbled softly with a smile on her face as she took a moment to sit beside Spike and take in all of the new smells, sounds, and sights that being a slayer brought her.  Neither she nor Spike noticed the small squad of heavily armed men in all black military gear firing tranquilizer darts into their necks before it was too late.  

"Sleep tight ass-face…," The man growled softly before he gave Spike a good kick in the ribs and then went about tracking down the rest of Spike's motley crew.

*                        *                      *                     *                        *                      *         *

After Faith had given up trying to get outside and talk to Buffy or Angel she had left the lobby and went up to check on Wesley.  Giles had initially disapproved of the idea but had relented when some of the newest slayers had demanded to know what was going on, with an extremely stubborn Vi leading the charge.  Kennedy and Willow had retreated to another of the rooms to let Willow rest.  After some initial hesitation Lorne had begun intermingling with the new slayers and ended up getting locked into a conversation with Andrew and Dawn, who both wanted to have their aura's read rather than talk about how nervous they were.  Fred had done the best that she could do in patching up the injured slayers but had sent the most injured to the hospital in the ambulances that Lorne had called earlier.  Robin had pulled Gunn aside and had begun to ask seemingly every question of the rainbow about Angel, Angel Investigations, and more importantly Wesley.  Gunn had answered every question as best he could but made it clear that he didn't know all of the answers.  Gunn had pulled Xander over and involved him in the conversation only minutes before the rain of fire began.  Wood had tried to make the first point of discussion with Xander about Faith and Wesley's history, but the trio got sidetracked by Xander's explanation of why he wore an eye patch.  When the rain of fire began Angel pulled a curious Buffy inside just as the first few spheres of fire plummeted down from the sky.

"I just remembered that I really hated this part," Fred squeaked meekly as she sat down beside Gunn, who slipped his arm and her shoulders and squeezed lightly.  

"But you're not alone this time, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere," Gunn said softly as he tried to calm Fred down without allowing her to see just how nervous he was.  Across from him Robin Wood sat first staring at the two across from his seat before he turned his attention to the front doors as Buffy, and most of the new slayers, stood near every available window trying to get the best view of the ominous events unfolding outside.  

"What do we do now Buffy," Vi asked nervously as she seemed to have lost all of the confidence that she had found earlier in the day.  Buffy started to respond but sighed, smiled, and shrugged her shoulders before answering.

"I don't know…but this isn't my call…it's Angel's…he's the leader here," Buffy replied with a very burnt out and defeated look on her face before her shoulders slumped and she slowly walked into the middle of the lobby, almost knocking into a nervous Kennedy, who was accompanying Willow back down the stairs towards Angel.

"I only lead my people Buffy…you're still the boss of everyone else…unless you want Faith to lead…what…am I missing something here…," Angel started to say with a firm but yet not angry tone to his voice as he slowly followed after Buffy, completely ignoring the events unfolding outside of the hotel.  As he continued to follow Buffy he noticed the looks of shame on the faces of everyone except for Gunn, Fred, and Lorne and grew concerned about it.

"Yeah…but it's a long story…one that you're…not going to like very much…," Willow stammered out with a great bit of trepidation as had Kennedy not been at her side the witch most likely would have retreated right back up the stairs as fast as she could go.

"Well with the rain of fire out there I could all the time in the world…so lay it on me," Angel replied with a look on his face that seemed to mean he could care less as he jammed his hands deep into his pockets and turned his full attention to Willow, who swallowed hard before beginning her story.

END OF CHAPTER 4


	5. Bonding And Finally Admitting The Truth

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 5-BONDING AND FINALLY ADMITTING THE TRUTH**

The swell of emotions and images threatened to overwhelm him at first.  During his time spent as a vampire he had experienced many various types of hallucinations and drug induced trances.  But this dream approached him with none of the usual pretexts that he expected.  One minute he had been trying to explain the current situation to Molly and the next his head had made a beeline for the nearest rock, a tranquilizer dart sticking out of the side of his neck.  Had he been resting he probably would have been able to detect the presence of a third person.  But now he found himself wandering down a street that looked eerily like Revello Drive.  Although he knew it couldn't be because all that was left of Sunnydale was a dry and dusty crater the size of Montana.  The two level houses, complete with the idyllic white picket fences in front of them and closely cropped trees shading the sidewalks echoed what he had always heard was supposed to be the perfect family dream.  The trees, along with the rows of flowers that lined the sidewalks, were in full bloom and the aroma for once didn't make him want to gag.  Instead the scent made him more want to make a trek down to the local nursery and pick out a few roses or orchids that would bring out the hazel in his loves eyes.  

Children played in driveways beside their mothers, who would smile and wave at him as he passed by.  Not knowing who any of these strange women were he could only think to smile and wave back, no matter how much it made him feel like a ponce for doing it.  As he looked around he felt an extremely eerie sense of calm and complete panic all at the same time.  As he looked around the neighborhood, complete with swimming pools in the backyard, it all somehow felt very familiar, as if he should know exactly where he was. Thinking it best not to stay in one place to long he kept walking, stopping only momentarily to notice how good it felt to be able to take a stroll in the sunlight and let the sun's rays warm him instead of incinerating him.  His feet seemed to know where they were going, and rather than try and argue the point with himself he let them lead the way.  He walked on a few more blocks before he saw the tops of a very familiar stroller peeking just above the peak of a very white picket fence.  At the sight his feet seemed to want to move at a greater rate of speed.  

He pressed on and a smile crept upon his face as he viewed the sight that greeted him.  Kneeling down beside a freshly dug up bed of flowers were two women that he felt a great and powerful connection to.  One he could tell easily by the hazel eyes that shined overtop of a playful smile. Her voice was like that of angel's as she welcomed him home and that supper was baking in the oven and that they'd be done well before then. The other he took to be the new slayer that he had been comforting before being attacked, only she looked older, and less bogged down by the worries of the world and her work as a slayer.  Her belt length hair was pulled up into two tightly wound pigtails, very similarly to how it had been when he had first seen her that night after Buffy had rescued him from the First.  She had brought in some bandages and even though she knew what he was she didn't look at him with fear or revulsion, through his gaze it looked more like curiosity and even a little sympathy.  She genuinely looked happy, and from his vantage point right at home beside his one true love.  Between them lay dozing peacefully in the aforementioned stroller was the most beautiful little girl that he had ever seen.  Small puffs of the breeze wafted in and buffed up a few stray strands of hair that looked like lithe strands of golden silk in the afternoon sun. 

He started to unlock the creaky gate when his love looked up and reminded him, with a mock tone of anger to her voice that he should go pick up Joyce first.  Not knowing who Joyce was but also not wanting to anger his love he smiled as best he could and continued on down the sidewalk a couple of blocks before he heard a delighted squeal come from the front yard of a heavily treed yard.  He looked to his right and his gaze was met by a boisterous little angel that bolted towards him, arms outstretched, and a thoroughly delighted smile spread across her face. He didn't exactly know who the little girl was but the love that he felt towards her was only surpassed by the love that he felt for his slayer.  He met the little girl halfway and couldn't help but laugh as their noses collided and the little girl giggled.  He was just about to say his greetings when a cold slap in the face shattered his dream and brought him back to the cold and cruel world that was his new reality.

"Rise and shine ass-face," Riley growled angrily before slapping Spike a couple of times as a few feet away Molly slowly began to come to, mumbling something about it being to early to get up.  Spike blinked his eyes a few times before realizing where he was and who was standing over him.

"Oh it's you…want do you want…," Spike started to mumble sarcastically before Riley slammed his fist into Spike's jaw.

"What did you do Spike…what did you do to Sunnydale…," Riley hissed back with a grim scowl on his face as he prepared to give Spike another punch.

"I didn't do anything…except save the entire world…not that you'd know anything about…," Spike answered with a cocky grin on his face before being abruptly interrupted by another punch from Riley. 

"And I'm just supposed to believe that…a soulless killer saving the entire world…sorry but I'm not buying it," Riley replied with a look on his face that seemed to infer that he could care less what Spike said.

"I see that you haven't lost any of your people skills since I saw you last," Spike quipped back with a smug grin on his face before Riley grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up so that the two were face to face.

"Very funny Spike…but here's the real question…and don't give me any funny answers…I'm not in the mood…where is she Spike…where's Buffy," Riley asked, barely able to control his emotions, as Spike was humored to see the knuckles on Riley's hands turn white.

"I don't know…like I said…I was a little busy saving the world…now if you'll get your bloody hands off me I have to find her…," Spike replied with a deadly serious frown on his face as he steeled himself and stared Riley right in the eye.  

"You're not going anywhere until I have some answers," Riley said coldly with a slight sneer on his face as he shoved Spike back to the ground and started to take out the gun that he wore at his hip.

"That's enough Riley, we're supposed to find out what happened from them…not kill them," Sam said forcefully as she entered the tent and laid a restraining hand on her husband's arm.  

"As long as they tell us what we need to know it doesn't matter if I…," Riley started to say before a stern look from Sam, and the sounds of Molly noisily waking up, interrupted him.

"Who's she," Sam asked with a concerned frown on her face as she nodded her head towards Molly, who sat quickly upright and looked around fearfully, her eyes wide with shock.

"I don't know, she was with Hostile 17 when we captured him, who is she Spike…tell me…," Riley started to say with a calm look on his face before he turned back to Spike and tried to glare a hole right through the former vampire.  

"Molly something or other…," Spike replied with an annoyed scowl on his face before he sat up and began to dust himself off.  

"Windholm…Molly Windholm," Molly sputtered out through the look of fear and confusion on her face as she scooted closer to Spike.

"Good…maybe now we can get a few questions answered, like what happened to Sunnydale and why Hostile 17 is now human," Sam said softly with a content sigh as she pushed Riley back away from Spike and Molly.

*                     *                      *                    *                     *                        *                *

Wesley had laid it all out on the table and leaned back up against the headrest to wait for Faith's reaction.  He thought of the several looks of shock that he had seen on her face as he had went over the events of the past few years since she had went to prison.  She had stopped him a few times to ask questions that were short and to the point, mainly trying to make sure that she was hearing him correctly.  When he recanted how he had been shot by the zombie cop while trying to help Gunn and his friends he could have sworn that a look of panic flashed across her face, but in its place a moment later was her usual mask of stone.  Her brows furrowed and a look of great concern underlined by a simmering pot of anger at the point where he relayed to her what had happened around that same time, with Angel letting an entire room of lawyers, evil as they were, die.  The account that he told her of when Angel had traveled to the hospital after he had been shot was a second hand one.  All he could remember of that time was that Gunn and Cordelia had been there, little else, all of the drugs that he had been placed on took care of that.  Cordelia had told him that Angel had come to the hospital looking like a sullen child that was missing his puppy.  

She had curtly said a few choice words to Angel before he had sulked off back into the night.  He waited until after Faith had gone back into the bathroom and brought a wet washcloth, for him to put on his forehead as he was starting to feel a bit faint, before continuing.  He told her about how they had all reconciled and about the many times that Lorne had lost his club.  Much of the rest of his story began to run together, a fact that Faith didn't miss.  She told him that he should get some sleep but he had brushed it off saying that there'd be plenty of time for him to sleep when he was dead.  Try as he might he couldn't look her in the eye when he told her what he remembered about how and why his throat had been cut.  He remembered that he had been placed in a position where he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't, but over what exactly he wasn't completely sure.  Faith was almost ready to leap off of the bed and charge out of the room when he told her about how Angel had tried to suffocate him in his hospital bed.  

He had responded quickly and asked her what she remembered about her encounter with the Beast.  She could remember everything about her encounter with the Beast, but there were a few spots in between following after Angelus and battling the Beast that she couldn't remember anything about.

"That makes two of us…I remember Lilah dying and someone telling me that we should destroy the body because she could have been turned…but I can't remember who told me…it wasn't Gunn, Fred, Cordelia, or Lorne…and other than me they were the only ones in the Hyperion that night," Wesley said nervously as he pressed the damp washcloth to his forehead.  

"I know…after you came to break me out I remember us talking the whole way back to the hotel…but I can't remember all of it, only bits and pieces, you think this is a spell or something…making us forget," Faith asked with a concerned and confused frown on her face as she slowly stood up and began pacing around the room.  

"It's entirely possible, the last time that I faced the Beast it went in and slaughtered everyone at Wolfram and Hart except for Lilah…but that was because I got her out of there before the Beast could finish her off…and in doing I was able to learn about how the Beast's master had banished all knowledge of itself from this reality," Wesley replied with a tired frown on his face as he looked down at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed.

"What if the Beast goes after Wolfram and Hart again…," Faith asked, as she stopped abruptly in her tracks, with a solemn and very serious look on her face as she turned back around to face Wesley.  Wesley thought about her question for a little bit before responding.

"We should get over there…get everyone out…or at least make sure that if the Beast does show up that we can keep the body count to a minimum," Wesley said through a pained grimace on his face as he slowly slid off the edge of the bed and tried his best to stand.  He was only able to take a few steps before his knees started to wobble.

"Wes…," Faith shouted with a great deal of concern and worry in her voice, most of which Wesley was in to much discomfort to notice, as she rushed to his side and slipped one of his arms around her shoulders and helped him to stand up straight.  "Here…let me," Faith mumbled softly as she felt Wesley put more of his weight onto her while she helped him towards the door.

"We have to warn Angel," Wes said before a coughing fit almost made Faith stop helping him towards the door and turn around and put him back to bed.  But Wesley reached for the door and opened it, shattering her short window of opportunity.  

"Of course Wes…," Faith answered with a worried frown on her face as she helped Wesley down the hall and then onto the first few stairs.  Willow had just started to tell the story when Wesley and Faith started to limp down the stairs.

"Wesley what are you doing…you should be in bed," Giles nearly shouted in concern as he blinked twice to make sure that he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.  Ending the story abruptly Willow turned to look up the stairs.

"Giles is right…those spells only help the healing, they can't cure you if you don't let them," Willow said with a look of great concern on her face as she rushed to the foot of the stairs just as Faith and Wesley got to the last step.  From across the room Robin scowled heavily but kept quiet at the sight of Wesley leaning on Faith, who didn't seem to mind bearing his weight on her shoulders.

"I'll rest later I swear…but right now we have to get to Wolfram and Hart," Wesley gasped out as Faith helped him to sit down on the bottom step, taking a seat on the next step up.

"Why…have you figured something out about the Beast…," Angel asked with a concerned frown on his face as he looked back and forth between Wesley and the rain of fire, which seemed to be lightening up, outside.

"In a manner of speaking…Faith actually brought it to my attention…seeing as how the Beast is back and if its modus operandi has remained the same then…," Wesley started to say with a tired shrug of his shoulders before a fit of coughing overtook him, to which both Faith and Willow went to his aid.

"Then it'll head straight for Wolfram and Hart…," Gunn added with a deadly serious frown on his face and tone to his voice as he stood up slowly and looked over at Wesley, avoiding the scared stares of the new slayers and a confused Andrew alike, nodding his head slightly as he did so.

"And kill anything that moves…," Fred finished with a completely horrified and sick to her stomach look on her face as she almost literally used Gunn's arm to help pull herself to her feet before looking wide eyed at Angel.  

"Well we certainly cannot let that happen that's for sure," Giles said straightforwardly after clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses.

"I don't plan on it…Faith get Wesley out to my car…Gunn get some weapons and join us outside…the rest of you stay here," Angel started to say calmly as he turned around and headed for the door, with Gunn and Faith nodding in agreement.  He only got to the door before hearing the first voice of dissent.

"Now wait a minute…don't you think that more of us should go…maybe a few of us new slayers," Kennedy asked with a very demanding scowl on her face, and her hands on her hips, as she glared at Angel from near the stairs.  

"No…the four of us are going and that's all…none of you are trained enough to even close to being able to fight the Beast…it'd rip you limb from limb just for the fun of it," Angel started to growl very angrily in response before his gaze momentarily met Buffy's.

"I vote we stay here and get settled in…sleep does a body good," Andrew stated with a nervous smile on his face before he shrunk down in his seat under Kennedy's intense glare.

"Well I don't…this Beast can't be any worse than those ubervamps that we fought back in Sunnydale or the bringers…we handled them easily enough," Kenney added with a grim look of determination on her face as she crossed her arms and cocked her head to one side.  

"Let me tell you something little girl…you might have the slayer strength, speed, agility, and the annoying habit of speaking your mind all the time…but that's all you have…you're still to new at being a slayer to be anything more than cannon fodder for the Beast, it nearly took Wesley, Gunn, Lorne, and I out all single-handedly the first time we fought it and you wouldn't last five seconds…now I don't know how things worked in Sunnydale…and from what I've heard and seen so far I don't think that I want to know…but here I'm the boss and I call the shots…so we're going and you're staying…is that clear," Angel growled out angrily as he stalked over to stand right in front of Kennedy and glare down at her with his arms crossed and a low vampiric growl to punctuate his point.  Instantly Kennedy looked to Willow first, who cowered a bit and looked away, and then to Faith, who just sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"When the mans right he's right…c'mon Wes," Faith started to say with a tone to her voice as if she could care less before she turned back to Wesley and her voice became full of worry and concern, matching perfectly the unintentional look on her face as she helped him towards the door.

"I'll stay here and hold down the fort until you get back…or be the second front…if you don't," Buffy said with a very solemn frown on her face as she opened the door for Angel and the two exchanged a nervous look as he walked past her.

"We'll come back…I promise," Angel half shouted back over his shoulder as he hurried up his step a bit to help Faith get Wesley to the car.  Gunn shrugged his shoulders and sighted slightly before hugging Fred and rushing off after Angel.

*                      *                        *                              *                          *                         *

Neither Cordelia nor Anya had found anything in their search, except for a few broken down old wrecks that had most likely been there for some time.  In truth Cordelia had only searched for a short time before sitting down in what little shade she could find and trying not to burn to badly.  Anya had started out humming a little tune that she had heard on the radio sometime back before she found herself awkwardly humming the wedding march.  The two had taken longer on their search than they had expected, and so when they returned to the place that they had left Spike and Molly neither one was there.  Anya had immediately offered up the possibility that the two had found some means of transportation and left.  Cordelia was about ready to throw a fit when off in the distance the two could see a number of black tents set up along the edge of the crater.  They crept closer until they noticed that the guards were carrying guns and didn't look to be in a talking mood.  More than once the two had to resort to diving behind a rock or broken down car to avoid being seen.

"Who the hell are these guys," Cordelia asked with a frustrated scowl on her face as once again she and Anya ducked behind the burnt out remnants of an old car.  

"The Initiative probably…they were the guys that put the chip in Spike's head so that he couldn't hurt anybody…Buffy used to date one of them to…," Anya explained with a chipper smirk on her face as she quickly peeked around the corner.

"Why doesn't that surprise me…who hasn't she dated…," Cordelia said at first as she rolled her eyes and sighed before she finished speaking sarcastically.

"She hasn't dated Xander yet…and she'd better not if she knows what's good for her," Anya said merrily at first before her look changed to one of anger, except it was her usual look of anger that made her look as if she were making a funny face.  

"Okay…so what do we do now…we have to find Spike and Molly, but I highly doubt that they'll just let us by," Cordelia asked with a nervous and slightly angry look on her face as she took a quick peek over the top of the burnt out car.  

"We could use sex…men like sex…we lure them over here with promises of multiple orgasms and then bonk them on the head when they're not looking," Anya replied with an excited smile on her face and her eyes all lit up.

"It's official…we're doomed," Cordelia started to say with a totally defeated sigh as she slumped to the ground before the wind picked up and soon neither Cordelia nor Anya could see more than a few feet in front of their faces.  

*                         *                      *                     *                     *                           *  

The camp was still as it stepped out of the portal, but soon it called up a might gale that swept through the area, nearly blinding everyone nearby.  The Initiative operatives at the camp started to scramble all over until they caught sight of what had come through the portal.  The first few that it met could only order it to halt before losing their heads.  The Beast stalked through the camp with a guttural laugh emanating from it.  Riley and Sam had been about to ask Spike the all important question, about how he was now human, when the gale had initially picked up.  Sam left first to try and find out what it was, and after several nerve wracking minutes of nothing she had rushed back into the tent and pulled Riley back out with her, yelling something about an emergency.  Riley had started to resist but after seeing the look on his wife's face his doubts had been put to rest and he grabbed his gun and followed her out of the tent.

"Now's our chance pet…come on," Spike whispered loudly to a nervous and wide eyed Molly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the entrance of the tent.  

"Shouldn't we stay here…," Molly asked with a scared look on her face as Spike threw back the front flap of the tent and got hit in the face with a fierce gust of wind.  

"Hell no…we stay here they're likely to turn us into experiments…Captain Cardboard would probably have them fit me with another chip if he had his way…," Spike answered with a certain amount of anger and sarcasm in his voice before he and Molly exited the tent.  They had no sooner left the tent when Spike began to wonder if maybe it would have been better to simply stay put and ride out the storm in the tent.  Even with his now slayer enhanced eyesight he could only see a few more feet in front of him than any of the Initiative soldiers could.  However he certainly wasn't about to let Molly know that, as he felt the new slayer tighten her grip on his arm, for fear that revelation would only further intensify her fear and do neither any good.  

"I can't see a bloody thing…," Molly shouted out in frustration, letting her accent shine through, as she tried her best with one hand to keep the blowing sand and dirt out of her eyes.  

"I think I see something…over there," Spike shouted back as he pointed to a dark patch in the distance.  Reluctantly Molly agreed and the two began to make their way as best they could through the maelstrom.  As they went they could hear the dying screams and fearful shouts of the Initiative soldiers as they desperately tried to get a hold of the situation.  Spike stopped dead in his tracks when he got close enough to the dark area to see exactly what it was.  Hovering a few inches about the ground was a swirling black portal with an occasional swirl of lightning.  Spike was about to turn back and relay his newfound findings to Molly when she cut him off.

"Spike…," Molly screamed in fear and confusion as Spike whirled around to see a huge figure come strolling out of the maelstrom in its wake.  It was definitely a demon of some kind, but it seemed to be made out of rock with large horns on the top of its head.

"Bloody hell," Spike muttered with a complete lack of any idea as to what to do next as he pulled Molly behind him.

"William the Bloody…so we meet at last…you're an awful lot…smaller than I thought you'd be," The Beast said with a mocking sneer on its face and tone to its voice as it towered down over Spike and Molly.

"Do I know you…," Spike asked with a concerned, and a little scared, feeling in the pit of his stomach as he nervously shifted his weight back and forth.  

"No...but we do have a mutual acquaintance…Angelus," The Beast exclaimed back with a haughty smirk on its face as it came to stand directly in front of Spike.  

"Leave it to Peaches to…urk," Spike started to say sarcastically before the Beast grabbed him by the throat with one hand and easily picked him up off of the ground.

"Let go of him," Molly shouted, suddenly finding a well of courage that she didn't know that she had, as she charged the Beast and started flailing away in her attempt to free Spike.

"Stupid fly…," The Beast snapped angrily before it backhanded Molly in the face, sending her up into the air and then down again, straight through the portal as she tried to cry out for help.

"Mol…," Spike tried to shout in fear and alarm but was stopped abruptly when then Beast tightened its grip on his throat.

"And now like Angelus…I will break you," The Beast said with a delighted sneer on its face as it brought its other hand up to snap Spike's neck.

"Drop him," An angry and fearful voice shouted from behind the Beast before it turned around enough to give Spike a view of who had shouted the command.  Riley, Sam, and several other Initiative soldiers stood several feet away, weapons aimed directly at the Beast's back.  

"Foolish mortals…," The Beast started to say as it took a step towards Sam before Riley jumped in between the two and squeezed the trigger, hoping to at least slow down the Beast.  The Beast laughed in sinful amusement as the bullets ricocheted off of its rock hard hide.  Spike's hide however wasn't so tough, and one of the first few bullets that hit the Beast and flew off slammed into his left shoulder, sending lighting bolts of pain throughout his body. 

"Bloody hell," Spike shouted out as best he could before being lucky enough that the Beast dropped him like a used gum wrapper and he fell to the ground, gasping for breath.  Taking the opportunity provided him, and knowing that he needed to at least try to save Molly; Spike grabbed his shoulder and dove through the portal, with the last thing that he saw being the Beast confidently striding towards the group of Initiative soldiers as they fired off round after round.

*                    *                       *                         *                           *                              *

Angel hadn't been gone to long before Buffy had started to get the new slayers that were left to different rooms.  A few of them ended up doubling up because after what they had just been through some of them weren't ready to be so alone yet.  Kennedy refused at first but a tired plea from Willow had eased her concerns and the two had disappeared into one of the rooms on the second floor, locking the door behind them.  Giles and Xander helped Fred and Andrew get Robin up to one of the nearest rooms before Fred and Giles continued to treat his wound.  Dawn said that she'd help, but minutes after sitting down behind the counter she had found something to her liking and became totally engrossed in it, ignoring Buffy completely.  Lorne had gone back into the kitchen to try and fix himself a drink when Buffy came back down the stairs.  She started to try to rub the much needed sleep out of her eyes but stopped when she saw the wind pick up just outside the Hyperion's front door.  With a confused scowl on her face Buffy carefully walked out of the old hotel, using her hands to shield her face from the blowing dirt and sand.  She was just about to shout back to Dawn for help when a sudden gust of wind lifted her off of her feet and shot her straight into the portal.

*                         *                             *                                  *                     *                     *

When Spike awoke he found himself lying on the floor, surrounded by shelves and shelves of dusty books.  Oddly enough his surroundings seemed familiar.  Beside him Molly was leaning back up against one of the shelves rubbing a nasty looking bruise on her cheek and staring around in fear and awe.  She seemed alright enough and so Spike turned and looked away, shocked at who he saw.  Standing over him was a much younger looking Giles, arms full of books, with a shocked Xander and Willow behind him, both trying to form words but only being able to make small squeaks.  Spike had to look twice before accepting that the Xander that he was looking at had both eyes and no eye-patch.

"Whoa," Willow shouted in fear as she and Xander looked nervously back and forth between Giles and the pair on the floor.  

"Oh my…," Giles gasped breathlessly at first before Spike rolled over and he saw the condition of Spike's shoulder.  "Xander…in my office there's a black leather bag that has medical supplies in it…I need you to get it for me, Willow go to the restroom and bring back some towels and some water," He continued with an exasperated scowl on his face before Willow and Xander nervously ran away to do what he had asked.  

"Where are we," Molly asked with a nervous frown on her face as she stood up shakily and then winced as she lightly touched her bruise.

"If I'm right then…we're in the library of the old Sunnydale High School…before Buffy blew it up to stop the Mayor…but I don't have a bloody clue how…," Spike replied painfully, his voice shaking noticeably as he stood up, aided greatly by a still shell-shocked Giles, after the Watcher nervously set the books that he had been carrying down beside him.  

"Before Buffy what…blew it up…," Giles asked with a stupefied scowl on his face as he helped Spike down the stairs and to a seat at the end of the table.  Spike stared back at Giles with a confused scowl on his face before adding.

"Forget I said anything…," Spike quickly said with a thoroughly confused frown on his face before he yelled out in pain as Giles tried to begin to inspect his shoulder.  

"How did this happen," Giles asked with a concerned frown on his face as he took out his pocket knife and cut off Spike's left sleeve to gain easier access to the wound.

"It's better that you don't know Rupert…," Spike replied with an impatient frown on his face as he looked around the library nervously.  

"How do you know my name…and who exactly are you, if you don't mind me being so forward," Giles said with a nervous scowl on his face as he adjusted his glasses and then retrieved a reading lamp from his office just as Xander returned with Giles's bag.

"Whoa…that looks like it hurts," Xander mumbled softly with a shocked, but somewhat excited, look on his face as he stared at Spike's wound.

"It does…now as to how I know your name, well…there'll be time for that later…but I'm William and the lady here is Molly," Spike answered angrily at first before his expression softened as he saw the worried and scared look on Molly's face.  

"Pleased to meet you…," Xander started to say with a generous smile on his face as he held out his hand to shake Spikes but then stopped at the angry glare that he got in return.

"Proper introductions will have to wait until later…or at least until we're sure that William here won't bleed to death…Xander have you seen Buffy," Giles said with a nervous and frustrated frown on his face as he set the lamp up beside Spike's shoulder and positioned his glasses correctly. 

"I think she's still around here somewhere…I could go check," Xander replied with a nervous shrug of his shoulders and sly smile on his face as he nodded his head back towards the library doors and jammed his hands into his pockets.  

"Could you please check…," Giles said angrily as he glared heavily at Xander out of the corner of his eyes, not wanting to take his attention off Spike's shoulder.

"Right…yeah…," Xander mumbled out nervously before spinning on his heel and tearing off out of the library.

*                         *                            *                               *                      *                      *

She awoke groggily to find herself lying face down on the bottom bleacher in what looked at first like the old gym from the first Sunnydale High School, the same one that she had blown up to stop the Mayor during his ascension.  A quick glance around the gym seemed to confirm what she first expected.  She remembered how the gym had looked when she had first arrived in Sunnydale.  

"Spooky…," Buffy muttered softly with a confused frown on her face as she stood up and began to walk towards the double doors that led out of the gym.  She wondered around the halls for a few minutes before she turned a corner and very nearly knocked someone over.  "Sorry my bad I…," Buffy started to say with an embarrassed smile on her face before her breath caught in her throat as she saw who she had bumped into.  Sitting awkwardly on the ground in front of her was herself, only younger and less experienced.  

"Hey…you look…wait a minute this can't…hey…stop repeating everything…stop it…that's annoying," Both Buffy's said at exactly the same time as the tension between the two became visible as no matter what either said the other would utter the exact same thing at the exact same time.  Even their body movements matched, as after the younger Buffy had picked herself up off of the floor she crossed her arms and glared at the older Buffy, who returned the glare.  

"Hey Buffy there you are look we…whoa," Xander started to say with a sigh of relief as he ran up to the younger Buffy before he stopped dead in his tracks and gasped at the older Buffy.  

"Xander…," The older Buffy asked with a confused and slightly bewildered frown on her face before the younger Buffy interrupted herself.  

"We what Xander…," The younger Buffy asked with an impatient scowl on her face as she turned towards Xander, but kept a wary eye on the older Buffy.  

"Giles asked me to find you…Willow and I were helping him put some of his old books away when we rounded a corner and almost bumped into two people on the floor…," Xander replied nervously, stuttering a bit, as his gaze kept flittering back and forth between the two Buffy's.  

"So by on the floor you mean…what exactly…," The younger Buffy asked with a confused frown on her face as she took a slight step away from the older Buffy and drew Xander aside.  

"A guy that looked like he got shot in the shoulder and a girl about our age…there was blood everywhere…oh yeah…his hair was bleached blond…," Xander replied with a confused and somewhat unimpressed frown on his face as the older Buffy's eyes grew in shock before she turned and bolted away towards the library.

"I wonder what…," The younger Buffy started to say with a confused frown on her face before she grabbed Xander's arm and the two took off after the older Buffy.

*                     *                           *                         *                          *                      *

"Would you please sit still…I'm almost done, you're lucky that the bullet didn't go in very deeply or else I would have had to take you to the hospital…which isn't a bad idea after I finish wrapping your shoulder up," Giles said with an impatient and slightly angry scowl on his face as he used one hand to keep the bandage in place while he began to wrap Spike's shoulder with his other hand.  

"Sorry Rupert but I won't need a hospital, I'll be good as new in a few days…slayer healing and all…," Spike started to say with a tired look on his face before he heard a sharp gasp from behind him as Giles finished up wrapping his shoulder and stood back to admire his work.

"Sp…Spike…," The older Buffy whispered softly before her mouth failed to allow her to say anything else as she stood just inside the library, staring at Spike's back.  

"Buffy…," Spike said breathlessly as he debated for a few seconds whether or not to stand up and turn around or just stay where he was.  In the end his head and his heart came to a rare agreement and he slowly and painfully stood up and turned around to face his slayer.  The instant their gazes met Buffy couldn't hold her tears in any longer and they began to slip out as first before cascading down her cheeks, ruining what makeup she had left.  For a moment Spike stayed as still as a stone, not believing who he was seeing in front of him.  "She can't be here…none of this makes any sense," Spike thought with a confused frown on his face before Buffy took a step closer to him.

"N…no…you're not real…you're dead…you died in the hellmouth…it can't be you…," Buffy forced out as her breaths almost exactly coincided with small sobs that wracked her small body.  With a fearful look in her eyes she cautiously lifted her left hand up and almost fainted when Spike raised his right hand and took her hand in his, interlocking their fingers exactly how they had in the hellmouth.

"It's me Buffy…it's me…really…," Spike gasped back softly as wet and salty tears sprang to his eyes as well.  Buffy stood rigid in shock for a few seconds, mightily because of the physical contact as when she first saw Spike a part of her thought that he was only an illusion, before finally heaving a giant sigh of relief and joy as she threw her arms around Spike and buried her head into the side of his neck.  Giles and Molly stood dumbfounded as they watched the scene play out, with the beginnings of a sly smirk starting to spread across Molly's face.  

"I love you…," Buffy whispered softly in between sobs as she pulled back just enough so that she could look Spike in the eye, keeping her face only far enough away so that Spike wouldn't blur.  Spike tried to think of something witty to respond with or simply respond with what he had told her earlier, but this time he cut his head out and listened to his heart.

"I love you to," Spike whispered back softly before he saw the joy in Buffy's eyes.  Pushing his luck he leaned in and brushed a soft chaste kiss on her lips, half expecting her to either slap or punch him as a response.  Instead Buffy smiled widely before returning the kiss, only this time the pair kissed eagerly, as if both expected the other to disappear in the next few seconds as well as letting go off all of their pent up emotions.

"I knew it…they love each other," Molly exclaimed in triumph with a proud ear to ear smile on her face as she pumped her fist before clapping merrily.

"Oh my…," Giles said with a shocked and confused frown on his face as he crossed his arms and stared silently at the scene in front of him as beside him Willow just stood quietly and wiped away a tear.  Giles was about to add something when Buffy and Xander came tearing into the library, stopping dead in their tracks at the sight in front of them.  

END OF CHAPTER 5


	6. Growing Closer And Explanations

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 6-GROWING CLOSER AND EXPLANATIONS**

Buffy was the first to pull away from the kiss, but noticeably reluctant to do so.  A myriad of emotions swirled between her head and her heart.  Her heart was pounding in her chest, loud enough for Spike to notice and smirk at the sound.  The thoughts that barreled through her head were only rudimentary at first, but soon ideas began to take hold.  She tried her best to put her feelings and thoughts into words, but at first the muscles that operated her mouth didn't seem to want to cooperate.  They were far too busy turning into jelly at the sight in front of her.  After a few exasperating seconds Buffy lifted her hand up and softly brushed it across Spike's cheek, eliciting a daring tear to escape from Spike's clutches.  When Buffy's facial muscles finally obeyed her mind again they only allowed the words to be short and sweet, but only at first.

"You…you're warm…what," Buffy stuttered out meekly as the tears continued to cascade out of her tired and weary eyes, spilling down her blushing cheeks. 

"Ya noticed huh…well that kind of goes with the territory, being a slayer and all and not a vampire with a soul anymore," Spike whispered back only loud enough for Buffy to hear, however Molly leaned in and grinned madly at the words.

"H…how…," Was Buffy's only clumsy response as Spike politely led her to a seat at the table, one that Giles had hurried to pull out.

"It was your mum…well not really her, but after I died she came to me…as a spirit…possibly an angel…and she said that you and the little Nibblet were soon going to need my help more than you'd ever know, then she gave me a choice to come back and help you…and here I am," Spike replied softly as a few more tears slipped out from his control and were suddenly slammed up against the side of Buffy's head as she lunged forward and caught him in a huge bear hug.

"Uh sorry to interrupt…but…huh…," Willow stammered out with a completely bewildered frown on her face as she looked over at Giles, desperate for an answer.  The only response that Giles could affect was to sigh and shrug his shoulders before rushing into his office and returning a minute later with a huge pad of paper and several well sharpened pencils.  

"Wow…," Molly mumbled softly in awe as she walked around the table and stared at Buffy, Xander, and Willow.  

"Giles…who are these people," The younger Buffy demanded with a look of panic on her face as she backed slightly away from an overly excited Molly.  

"I...," Giles stammered out with a completely lost look on his face before Buffy and Spike finished hugging.

For several breathless seconds Spike and Buffy sat motionless, each taking in exactly who was in front of them.  Buffy's lower lip quivered a bit, garnering a soft response from Spike as he reached up and brushed his thumb across it.  Giles sat silently regarding the two with confusion and awe.  The staring contest between Spike and Buffy would probably have gone on for hours if not for her being able to tear her eyes away from his for one split second and spotting the wound on his shoulder.  When she turned back to him her eyes asked what her mouth could only guess at.

"Oh this…credit our old friend Captain Cardboard and his impeccable aim," Spike said with a sarcastic chuckle as Buffy's brows furrowed in confusion.  "That ponce knocked us out and held us captive…," Spike began again with a bitter look of anger on his face before Molly jumped in and added her two cents.

"He asked us all of these questions about where you were…what happened to Sunnydale...he thought Spike did it…," Molly said with an exasperated shrug of her shoulders before she pulled out a chair and sat down next to Buffy, who stared at the teenager with wide eyes.

"It's her Buffy…it's Molly, she's not the First or a ghost…trust me…," Spike whispered softly to Buffy as the realization dawned on her.  Before Molly could add anything Buffy slung her arms around the new slayer and gripped her in a tight bear hug, mumbling her apologies about getting her killed.  

"The First…who's that…," The younger Buffy asked with a confused frown on her face as she awkwardly pulled a chair up next to Spike and sat down.

"Uhm Buffy…don't the three of you have somewhere to be right now…," Giles said after clearing his throat and motioning to the clock.  The younger Buffy started to blow off Giles' question before she noticed exactly what time it was and dragged a confused and startled Willow and Xander out of the library.

"This is all to much," Buffy mumbled softly before she let go of Molly and attempted to wipe away a few of the tears that she had shed.  

"No argument here luv…," Spike added with a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder, comfort that she gladly accepted.

"Not to spoil the mood but who are you…you can't be Buffy because she just…," Giles started to say with a confused sigh as he took off his glasses and began to clean them.

"She's Buffy all right Rupert…the chosen one…just the finished product and not the little girl that just dragged Red and the whelp out of here a minute ago…," Spike replied with a confident smile on his face as he half turned his gaze towards Giles before returning it to Buffy.

"This is…I mean…I don't see how…but how is it possible that the three of you are here…if what you're telling me is true then…," Giles sputtered out as it was evident that his mind was working light years ahead of his mouth.  

"A big portal…," Buffy and Spike said softly in unison before Molly looked back and forth between the two nervously.  

"Well could you…could you describe it a bit further…a big portal is hardly enough to go on…," Giles exclaimed with a nervous laugh as he adjusted his glasses and frowned.  Buffy scrunched up her nose in frustration before answering.

"I don't know…it was a big black swirly thingy…oh with lightning…," Buffy replied with her brows now furrowed in thought before Spike jumped in.

"Yeah that's what ours looked like to…right before some but ugly demon came out and started killing all of the Initiative soldiers in its path before throwing me around like a bloody rag doll," Spike said with a serious scowl on his face as he and Buffy once more interlaced their fingers on top of the table.  

"Riley…was he…," Buffy asked with a small bit of concern in her voice as she locked gazes with Spike, who shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah he was there…the bloody git…nearly broke my nose punching me in the face like he did…oh…I mean last we saw he and his blushing bride were still alive…," Spike started to say angrily with a slight sneer on his face before he calmed down and tried to sound reassuring.  

"Do any of you know where this portal came from…or who summoned it…," Giles asked nervously as he continued to scribble notes down onto the pad of paper.  

"If we knew that then we wouldn't be here right now…," Molly replied with a frustrated and tired sigh as she turned around to face Giles.  

"This is getting us nowhere…I know Spike…why don't you take Molly and give her the grand tour of Sunnydale…the early years…," Buffy announced with a hopeful smile on her face as it was apparent that Giles had more than a million and one questions to ask and was determined to ask them all.  

"You sure pet…I mean we could stay and help…," Spike started to protest weakly before he saw the determined look in Buffy's eyes and knew that any further arguments were pointless.  "Come on Bit…let's go for a walk…," Spike said softly with as chipper a smile on his face as he could muster as he turned to Molly.

"You can't go out dressed like that…people will think you're brain is addled…," Molly said with a slightly worried look on her face as she stood up and pushed her chair in.

"Molly's right…there are some clothes in the lost and found box in the office, perhaps you'll find something there that'll fit a bit better," Giles added with a concerned frown on his face as he nodded his head towards the doors of the library.  Spike pondered his choices for barely a second before he leaned in and placed a whisper soft kiss on Buffy's forehead.   Before Buffy could react Spike and Molly walked out of the library.  Buffy took a second to collect herself before Giles began the inquisition.

"Now…you said that you all came here via a portal but you don't know who cast it or why…maybe if you tell me a little about what else was going on then it would narrow my search…oh hello Joyce…," Giles asked with a confused and bewildered frown on his face before Buffy heard the library doors open again.  She took no notice of it at first because she expected that it was her past self or Xander or Willow.  She hadn't even thought that it could be her mother.

"Giles…do you know where…Buffy…," Joyce started to ask with a slightly worried look on her face before she stopped as she saw Buffy sitting, with her back to her, in a chair at the end of the table.  Giles started to attempt to come up with a believable response but was left speechless at the transformation that he saw take place in Buffy, all in a split second.  Buffy went from looking tired and frustrated to looking like a very small girl.  Buffy's eyes welled up with tears and she bit her bottom lip nervously before struggling to make her muscles get her up to her feet and to turn around.

"Mommy…," Buffy whispered softly as she fought to choke back the sobs that threatened to engulf her.  Joyce stood silent at the outburst, unsure of exactly what to do.  In the end Buffy rushed forward and buried her face into Joyce's shoulder as the floodgates opened and she let all of her pent up emotions rush out.

*                            *                            *                          *                       *                  *

"So wait you're telling me that you guys run Wolfram and Hart now…all of it…the whole thing…," Faith asked with a startled and impressed half smirk on her face as she sat in the backseat of Angel's car with a weary Wesley at her side.

"Not exactly…," Angel started to answer from the front seat as he carefully steered the car through the almost completely abandoned streets of Los Angeles.

"We…were only given control of the L.A. branch…as a reward…," Wesley finished with a pained wince, one that elicited a very concerned look from Faith, before he leaned back and tried to rub the fatigue from his eyes.  

"Some reward…," Faith mumbled breathlessly as she nervously looked back and forth between Wesley and Angel.  

"Not to be a killjoy but what are we supposed to do if the Beast is there playing lawn darts with lawyers…," Gunn asked with a grim frown on his face as he first looked to Angel before sending a worried look back at Faith and Wesley.  

"We get out as many people as we can and detonate the large amount of c-4 in the basement…," Wesley replied calmly, as if he had been formulating the strategy that he had just laid out for some time.

"Wait…there's c-4 in the basement…, what for…," Faith asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, a feeling where she felt that she already knew the answer but she just wanted someone else to confirm her dire hypothesis. 

"As a failsafe…in case the senior partners lost control of the situation here…they wouldn't want any of their secrets getting out…," Angel added without the slightest hint of emotion in his voice as he stared straight ahead.

"Well let's say we hope that it doesn't come to that," Gunn asked with a very nervous smile on his face as he shook his head.  The quartet remained silent until Angel pulled into his underground parking garage.  The ride up in the elevator was without incident but upon reaching Angel's office Faith had to help Wesley into one of the chairs before leaving the room to get him something to drink.

"There you are Angel…," Lilah called out with a fairly large amount of venom in her voice as she strode into the room, her arms full of files.  As she passed Wesley she looked down only briefly and for a split second Angel caught site of the former lawyer's usually uncaring facade shatter as he could see the well hidden worry in her eyes.

"Lilah…come on in…," Angel replied with a sarcastic frown on his face as he pulled out his chair and sat down.

"Very funny…are you aware of the situation out there…," Lilah asked as she dropped the files on Angel's desk and opened wide the curtains.  Angel instinctively flinched and prepared to jump behind his desk before his more rational side reminded him of the protective coating on the window.

"All to well Lilah…now do you have a point or are you just here to remind us why we're so happy that you're dead…," Gunn interjected with an annoyed scowl on his face before he softened his expression slightly as Wesley shot him a dark look.  

"Ooh….down boy," Lilah purred seductively in response, an action that garnered a muffled groan of annoyance from both Wesley and Angel as Faith reentered the room with a glass of water and some pills.

"Here ya go Wes…I had to swipe these from the guards but they should still work," Faith said softly to Wesley as she knelt down beside him and handed him the water and the pills.

"Thank you Faith…," Wesley mumbled softly while wincing slightly in pain before he popped the pills into his mouth and drank the glass dry.  During the entire exchange Lilah stayed silent at the window, although Angel could only guess at her response, one that he didn't have to wait very long for.

"Oh look Faith being nice to Wesley…kinda almost makes you forget that she tortured him nearly to death and liked doing it doesn't it…," Lilah said, mostly to Angel and Gunn, with a visible amount of venom in her voice as her smile only widened at the glare that Faith shot her.

"That was the old me…I've changed…reformed…," Faith said with a very serious, but yet slightly ashamed, look on her face as she stood up and took a step towards Lilah but stopped when Wesley softly laid a hand on her arm.

"Don't you get it little girl…you're evil…you always have been and you always will be…evil can't change…the whole leopard not changing it's spots thing…no matter how hard you try you'll always be a danger to everyone around you…you know what maybe it'd be best for everyone if someone put you out of your misery…," Lilah shot back, taking a great deal of delight in the battle in Faith's soul that she could see taking place through the look in eyes of the former rogue slayer.  

"That's enough Lilah…if you don't have anything constructive to say then please leave," Wesley shouted with a very angry scowl on his face as he very nearly jumped to his feet and stepped in between Faith and Lilah.  

"Whatever…I think you'll rather enjoy looking through those files…I sure did…," Lilah said with a look that seemed to say that she could care less about anything as she started to leave the room, though taking careful steps to avoid Faith.

"Lilah wait…how did you get these pictures…," Angel asked loudly as he looked up briefly from the file that he had opened and began digging through.  

"We have a mole in the Initiative…several actually…but before his head and limbs were ripped off he managed to send us those pictures…I think you'll find the last few to be of particular interest," Lilah answered with a mysterious wink and a delighted smile before she walked out of Angel's office, shutting the doors behind her.

"What the hell was all that about…," Gunn asked with a confused look on his face as he turned back to Angel.

"Cordy…," Angel said almost in a breathless whisper as he got to the pictures that Lilah had mentioned.  Faith cast Wesley a silent question but all the ex-watcher could do is shrug his shoulders and frown weakly.  

"That was all about Cordy…sorry Angel but I don't…," Gunn started to reply with a bewildered look on his face before Angel looked up suddenly and interrupted him, the vampires face full of a sudden surge of hope.

"It's Cordy…look," Angel said with a nervous smile on his face as he handed Gunn the first picture and then gave the next to Faith and Wesley.  Gunn had to squint a bit before he could make out the familiar face of the ex-cheerleader stumbling around in the fog.  Beside him Faith and Wesley stared intensely at their photograph before Wesley looked up with a look of hope on his face.

"It's Cordelia…but how…this is…," Wesley stammered out with a still confused but nevertheless hopeful look on his face as soon both he and Angel were trying to keep their hopes under control.

"Yeah it looks like Cordy…but how do we know that it's really her…it could be another demon masquerading as…," Gunn started to say with a worried look on his face as he sat down on the edge of Angel's desk before Lilah slinked back into the room, with a leather bag slung over one shoulder.  On her way to Angel's desk Lilah rubbed up against Wesley slightly, giving him a sexy wink before continuing on.  Faith fought back the sudden urge to smash her fist into Lilah's jaw when she saw the look of contempt on Wesley's face as he edged closer to her.

"On no it's her…she's the real deal alright…," Lilah said with what she hoped was an air of confidence, but both Wesley and Angel knew her well enough to notice the small quiver in her voice.  A quick look between the two only confirmed their feelings that Lilah was nervous about something but was trying her best not to show it.

"And we're just supposed to believe you…just like that…no proof…sorry but I'm not buying…," Gunn added with a growing scowl of concern on his face as he stood up and started to get in Lilah's face.

"It doesn't matter if you don't believe me…go check it out for yourselves…you can even use this…," Lilah shot back with a calm smirk on her face as she took a digital video camera and handed it to Angel.  

"Whatever…let's go…," Angel said gruffly before he nearly jumped out of his seat and headed for his private elevator.  Faith looped an arm around Wesley's and helped him towards the elevator while Gunn followed close behind, studying the camera as he went.

*                         *                        *                        *                     *                            *

Giles had been right and Spike had found some clothes that the former vampire had to admit didn't look to bad on him.  However he swore to Molly that the first chance he got he was going to get himself some new clothes.  The two had begun their trip by trekking through the cemetery that housed what would become Spike's crypt, as many weeks earlier Molly had asked about it and Spike was all to happy to show her, even though for the life of her Molly couldn't figure out how the crypt could ever be considered comfy.  After a short stay there Spike had taken her by the Bronze and related how he had first come to set eyes on the slayer that would one day capture his heart.  Molly smiled softly as she listened to Spike expand on his thoughts of how beautiful Buffy had been that night to him.  Since the Bronze wasn't open yet their trek took them next to what would one day become the Magic Box.  Spike took a great deal of time recalling one event that took place there after another, so many that Molly got bored and started to wander away, finally coming to rest on a bench that also served as a bus stop.  Spike quickly caught up to her and sat down on the bench beside her with a nostalgic smirk on his face.

"What is it…," Molly asked with a slightly confused and concerned look on his face as she stood up and looked down at Spike.  

"Me and Dru killed a homeless man on this bench, he begged for mercy but ya know it just made her bite harder…," Spike said through a short laugh before he stood up and followed Molly as she again began to nervously step away.

"Who's Dru…," Molly asked with a nervous frown on her face as Spike caught up to her on the other side of the street.

"Well pet it's a long story…so I'd better start from the beginning…," Spike replied with a happy to oblige smile on his face before he reached an arm around Molly's shoulders and pulled her closer.  Molly listened intently as Spike began his story while the two began to head back towards the school.

END OF CHAPTER 6


	7. Near Misses And Finally Sudsy Bliss

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 7-NEAR MISSES AND FINALLY SUDSY BLISS**

It was almost an hour after Spike and Molly had left before Buffy was able to get a word in edgewise.  Her heart had nearly broken when the two had left the room but if her shaky memory of this day was right it was for the best that Spike wasn't in the library for very long.  Joyce had left shortly after Giles had explained to her that the woman standing in front of her did seem to be Buffy, but he couldn't give her any answers as to the how or why.  For a bit Buffy expected her mother to not be able to handle all that Giles was trying to tell her, but as the elder Summers left the library she made sure to ask Buffy to come by the house to talk sometime, sooner rather than later.  After that Giles had rambled off one question after another and Buffy had tried her best to answer them, being careful to keep back certain secrets.  From the look in his eye Buffy could tell that Giles knew that she wasn't telling him everything but at present he didn't want to pressure her.  Giles was just about to ask another in a long series of questions when Buffy glanced at the clock and bolted out of her chair, dashing for the stairs.

"What...what's wrong…," Giles stumbled out with a shocked look on his face as he turned around in his chair.

"I can't tell you right now…just don't tell him that I'm here…or Spike or Molly…," Buffy shouted back in a nervous answer as she ducked behind the bookcase and hoped that Giles wouldn't follow her and that her memory of this night was correct.

"I thought that he said his name was…Angel…what," Giles started to say with a very confused frown on his face as he stood up before Angel burst into the library looking panic-stricken.  

"Where's Buffy…," Angel asked with a very nervous frown on his face as he shifted his weight slowly from one foot to the other.

"She left just a little bit ago with Xander and Willow, is there something wrong," Giles asked with a worried look on his face as Angel slowly looked around the library.

"I hope not…," Angel replied with a solemn tone to his voice before he turned on his heel and rushed out of the library.  A few seconds later Buffy came out of her hiding spot and sat down on the steps.

"May I ask why the sudden disappearance…," Giles asked with a concerned and confused look on his face as he turned around to face Buffy.

"I couldn't let him see me…I don't know if I would have been able to convince him that I'm not the Buffy that he knew…and I sent Molly and Spike away because I didn't want to have to explain Molly and I didn't want Angel killing my boyfriend…," Buffy answered with a nervous and almost breathless frown on her face as she hung her head and ran her hands through her hair.

*                       *                      *                                *                   *                          *

Robin slept for a short time before he managed to painfully make his way back down to the lobby, hoping to catch Willow or Giles there and ask them some questions that he had been wanting answered.  Instead he found a nervous Fred and Lorne trying to calm down a few skittish new slayers as well as keep some of the more adventurous ones from venturing out.  He had to admit still that the sight of the green skin and the two red horns unnerved him a bit.  Being around first Spike and then his little time with Angel had been bad enough, but at least the two were vampires and could hide their demon sides.  Lorne on the other hand was a very visible demon and seemed to relish in that fact.  He thought about going back up to his room and getting some more sleep but his thirst for answers drove him to sit down on the circular couch beside Fred. 

"Excuse me…we haven't been formerly introduced have we, my name is Robin Wood," Robin said with as gentle and kind of a smile as he could muster as Fred turned his way and smiled.

"I'm Fred…well actually my name's Winifred Burkle, but everyone has always called me Fred…and this is Lorne…nice to meet you," Fred said with her usual trademark childish smile as she shook Robin's hand before she went back to the ancient tome that she had opened across her lap.

"I apologize if this is to forward but you look like you've got a lot on your mind, anything that we can help you with," Lorne asked with a sincere look on his face before he took a sip of his drink.  

"Hopefully…this might sound a little strange but…what do you know about Wesley," Robin asked with a nervous frown on his face as he tightened his watch on his wrist.  Fred brows furrowed in confusion for a bit before Lorne interrupted her with his question.

"There something specific that you want to know or do you want the entire story on Mr. Wyndam Pryce," Lorne asked with a slightly nervous look on his face as he used his finger to stir his drink a little further.  

"I just…I don't know…it's just that Faith seems to act like she owes him a debt that she'll never be able to pay…or that something happened between them that she doesn't like to talk about…," Robin replied with a very nervous shuffle of his feet as Vi and Andrew turned from their conversation to look on.  

"Well when we took Angel's soul away and turned him back into Angelus to help us battle the Beast…then Angelus escaped and we were at our wits end at how to recapture Angelus, then Wesley gets an idea and came back a few hours later with Faith in tow, saying that she was going to help us get him back," Fred explained with a small stutter to her voice as she seemed to Andrew to shrink back a bit into the couch.  

"I don't think that's it…it must have been something sooner, has Wesley or Angel ever talked about their pasts…where Faith is concerned I mean…," Robin asked through a slight wince of pain as he shifted in his seat to quickly.

"Sorry but those two have always been pretty tight lipped about their pasts…especially where Faith is concerned…at least with Wesley…when I read him his feelings towards Faith ran the gambit…," Lorne answered with a concerned look on his face before he took another drink and leaned back.

"Well he was her watcher right…so maybe Giles would know something more than us…," Vi said with an optimistic look on her face as she scrunched up her nose before Giles walked back into the lobby, holding several dusty old books under his arm and a steaming hot cup of tea in the other. By the looks on their assembled faces Giles knew that there was no getting out of the inquisition that was to come, so he reluctantly sat down in a chair that Andrew quickly vacated and prepared for the onslaught that was to come.   

*                          *                            *                          *                      *                        *

Angel ignored the speed limit on his way back to the Hyperion.  Gunn sat in the passenger seat desperately trying to get Angel's cell phone to work.  Wesley sat in the back, scouring his brain through the haze of pain for any clues as to how Cordelia could possibly be back and who the blond woman beside her was, with a nervous and tense Faith sitting beside him, looking on with a very worried look on her face.  For the most part the quartet passed the time without words, except for a few times that Wesley started to point out to Angel about an oncoming vehicle but Angel would just veer around it with ease and Wesley would leave his alert unfinished.  Faith thought several times of asking what was wrong with Cordelia but the way that Angel and Wesley acted upon seeing the picture of her gave Faith a nervous pang of worry in the pit of her stomach.

"Damn…I can't get this stupid thing to work…do you hit enter or send first…," Gunn growled with an annoyed and angry scowl on his face as he started to push every single button that the cell phone possessed.  

"Here give it to me," Angel said with a frustrated scowl on his face as he took the phone from Gunn and started to punch in some numbers.  As he continued to drive through the city Angel tried a few more numbers before abruptly throwing the cell phone away as he rounded a corner with only, "What…stupid thing never worked right anyway," as a response to the blank stares that he received.  

"Okay so who's going to be the one to fill me in on why the sudden shock at seeing Cordelia…I mean…," Faith started to ask with a confused look on her face before Wesley cleared his throat loudly and then leaned in close to Faith before answering.

"After you left we discovered that there was a demon inhabiting Cordelia's body, upon that demon's defeat it left Cordelia in an unresponsive coma, much like you were a few years ago," Wesley whispered softly into Faith's ear as Angel silently cursed his enhanced hearing for having to be reminded of how they had all come to this point.  

"Then how'd she…," Faith whispered back with a confused look on her face and an arm propped up on Wesley's shoulder before Angel interrupted solemnly.

"That's what we're going to find out…," Angel interjected with a very stern frown on his face as he turned the last corner and headed towards the Hyperion.

*                           *                            *                            *                        *                        *

After Angel had left Giles had changed his questions from those of trying to find out who this woman, along with her two friends, was exactly to their accommodations.  Buffy had tried to tell him politely that they'd find someplace to stay and that they had plenty of money to get a room, or two as an inner voice of Buffy's screamed.  Despite her best efforts Giles had given her all of the money that he had in his wallet, saying that he couldn't explain why but that he just felt that he should give her the money.  When she was shocked at the amount Giles told her that he had just cashed his paycheck and wouldn't take no for an answer, as he wanted to find a way to keep the perplexing trio around at least until he figured out a few more things about them.  As she left Buffy only asked Giles that he make sure that no one outside of her mother and the Scooby gang knew of the strange events of the night.  When he asked her how she would find her two friends she only smiled and gave out in reply as she left, "If Spi…William stays true to form then I think I know where he'll be…."  

*                         *                           *                         *                        *                           *

"Why did you tell me that story about you and Dru killing the homeless man on that park bench…it wasn't very nice," Molly asked with a slightly scared and confused look on her face as she and Spike walked along the sidewalk.  He had walked down this sidewalk what felt like a million times before, but somehow walking down this street during the day made him feel as if he were seeing the whole world through new eyes.  

"A little to much for ya pet…to gory…," Spike asked at first with a smug smirk on his face before he thought about what he was saying and had to draw his smirk back into a puzzled look.

"No…it's just that I would have thought that you would have told me about…other memories of Sunnydale…ones that didn't involve someone being killed," Molly gulped in response as a familiar house came into view.

"Well for most of the time that I've spent here in good ole Sunnydale all I was about was killing…kill the slayer…her friends…and anyone else that got in my way…," Spike replied with a serious frown on his face as he felt the sudden overwhelming urge for a cigarette.  

"So what made you change…become good…and stop all of the killing, was it the…," Molly asked with a tired look on her face as she and Spike walked down the driveway towards the backyard of that very familiar house.

"The chip…yeah that started it, guess that you could say that I have ole Captain Cardboard to thank for that…if those Initiative goons hadn't put that chip in my head then I never would have been able to get to know Buffy and the others, and I would have missed out on the greatest woman that I've ever known…," Spike said with at first a sly smirk on his face before his short speech ended with him leaning up against his familiar tree in the back yard with a worried and sad frown on his face.

"I hope you mean me…," Buffy exclaimed with a spunky smile on her face as she rounded the corner out of the neighbor's yard, a couple of shopping bags in her hands, and cocked her head to one side as Spike stood up from the tree, grinning in his usual way.  It was the very same smile that Buffy loved.

"All done playing twenty questions with Rupert luv…," Spike asked with a tone to his voice and look in his eye that Buffy knew, along with his posture, that he was teasing her.

"For now…but…whew…you need to take a shower Spike…you stink worse than…," Buffy started to say as she walked up to Spike before she backed up and scrunched up her nose.  Spike looked to Molly for confirmation or a disagreement and was greeted by a slightly squeamish nod.

"Okay I get it…but where am I supposed to take this said shower, last I checked we weren't exactly that well off…and the bags…," Spike exclaimed with a slightly overwhelmed look on his face as he threw his hands up in mock defense before both Buffy and Molly broke into a short fit of laughter.  

"What's in the bags is for after your shower…as for where…I think I have an idea…," Buffy replied with an overly happy smile on her face as she slowly began to rock forwards and backwards on the heels of her feet.  A few minutes later, and a quick talk with Joyce and Spike was standing in the infamous bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror while Buffy and Molly were downstairs, with Buffy trying to not let the feelings of loss towards her mother overwhelm her.  Molly picked up on Buffy's fears and set about asking Joyce about every little aspect of the house and her life, giving a sly wink back to Buffy as she followed Joyce out of the living room.  

After the two had left Buffy slowly rose to her feet before she began to walk around the room, taking in how everything was exactly in the place that she remembered.  Her heart ached at the thought that in a few years all that she saw around her would be reduced to rubble.  A pang tore at her heart to take some small reminder of all of the happy times that she, Dawn, and her mother had experienced in the house and leave.  But she fought back against that pang and instead sat down on the couch and stared out the window, wondering what her next move should be.  Her heartstrings were practically shouting one suggestion at her while her nerves and fears kept her seated in her place, allowing a small tear to skip down her cheek and form a possible future water mark on the couch cushion.

Upstairs in the bathroom Spike slowly took the time to check out every single aspect of his reflection, taking in with an unhappy frown on his face the fact that he was still caked with dried blood and that he looked a little thinner than he had expected.  He lightly traced over the scar through his left eyebrow with his index finger before he turned his gaze to his hair.  He had been asked once how as a vampire he had ever been able to keep his hair in any recognizable shape.  He had answered the question by saying only one word, practice.  He patted his cheeks in an attempt to bring some more color to a face that had seen so little of it in a good century and a half.  Next came the myriad of small scars that were located all over his body, and finally with the aid of a mirror he was able to get a good look at a few.  He finally closely inspected his now normal teeth and tried his best to morph into his game face but was pleased when he couldn't.  He hadn't expected to be able to morph into his game face but in Sunnydale he knew that someone could take very little, if anything, for granted.  With a final sigh and shrug of his shoulders he stepped into the shower and turned the water on, relishing in the new set of feelings that the warm water brought forth.

He set about ridding himself of all vestiges of the blood from the pool that he had risen from during his first moments back amongst the living, forming a shallow pool of bloody water at his feet.  After that he pressed his face into the stream of water, humming a favorite song out loud as he did so.  In fact he hummed so loud that he didn't realize that he was no longer alone in the bathroom until he felt a light hand on his arm.  Spike nearly had a heart attack as he spun around in the shower and tried his best to clear his vision with one hand while grabbing the shower curtain to cover himself with the other.  When his vision cleared enough he thought that the image that presented itself was a dream.  Because there standing mere two feet away was the love of his life, slowly slipping out of her clothes.

"Uh Buffy luv…what are you…," Spike mumbled through with a nervous tone to his voice as his heart began to pound in his chest.

"What I should have done a long time ago…set aside my fears and followed my heart, no matter the consequences…," Buffy replied softly with a kind and also slightly nervous smile on her face as she pulled her shirt over her head and slid out of her bra.  Before Spike could protest Buffy was out of the rest of her clothes and standing directly in front of him in the shower.

"But…are you sure that we…your mother…and the Bit," Spike stammered out nervously as he struggled to keep his composure, a large part of him scared to dream.  

"Molly's making my mom give her a guided tour of casa de Summers…and don't worry I locked the door…hey I lived her long enough to know how to unlock the bathroom door from the outside if I had to," Buffy answered almost in a whisper as the faintest traces of a happy smile skirted across her face while she lifted her left hand up towards Spike's face.  He met her left hand with his right halfway up and the two stared in silent respect of the act for a few seconds before turning their gazes back towards each other, his deep blue eyes back to her sparkling green.  "This is what you want…right…," Buffy started to ask with a very worried look on her face and puppy dog eyes before Spike reached up and caressed her cheek softly with his off hand, eliciting a smile of relief from Buffy and a few tears from both to find their way out.  

"Of course luv…of course…it's just that…," Spike started to whisper back softly before Buffy leaned in and kissed him softly at first before deepening the kiss, causing the rest of Spike's words to be lost in the steam and spray.

END OF CHAPTER 7


	8. Unexpected Delays And Do I Or Don't I

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 8-UNEXPECTED DELAYS AND DO I OR DON'T I**

Much to Molly and Joyce's surprise Buffy and Spike spent more than half an hour in the shower before the two slowly came down the stairs, talking softly to each other.  Molly smiled inwardly at the sight of Spike coming down the stairs in almost the exact same outfit that he had worn most of the time that she had known him, all black from head to toe.  Buffy on the other hand looked almost like his exact opposite, wearing basically the same look but whereas Spike looked prepared for the night Buffy looked ready for a comfortable walk in the sun.  The cream and tan colors of her pants and shirt really stood out as the two sat down near Molly, who was still wearing her old dark blue shirt and jeans that she had been wearing when Spike found her.  From her spot in one of the other chairs Joyce just looked on in confusion as to how much this Buffy in front of her looked like her Buffy.   Although she was obviously a little older and had a few slight lines that barely showed Joyce felt a great connection to the older Buffy.  

"Your turn Molly," Buffy said with a slight laugh as she was able to tear herself away from Spike and elbows Molly softly in the ribs.

"What…," Molly asked with a completely confused and nervous look on her face as she looked first at Spike and then back to Buffy.  

"Go on Bit…the shower's empty at the moment," Spike replied with a tired yawn as he leaned back and pulled Buffy a bit closer to him.

"But…I…," Molly stammered out with a confused and somewhat worried look on her face as she slowly stood up and glanced up the stairs. 

"There are some clothes for you in the bags in the bathroom…sorry but I had to guess about the size," Buffy said with a tired yawn that matched Spike's as she laid her head on his chest and smiled at hearing his steady heartbeat.

"O…kay…," Molly said with a stutter as she nervously walked up the stairs and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her.

"You're really Buffy right…I mean you look like Buffy but…," Joyce asked with a confused frown on her face as she wrung her hands nervously in front of her.

"Yep, I'm the one and only…mostly," Buffy replied with a slight wave of her hand before she yawned again.

"I'm sorry but this is all just too much…to confusing…," Joyce mumbled with a very frustrated sigh before she nervously began to rub her hands together.

"Don't get to worked up about it luv…we still don't understand it ourselves…all we know is that we're somewhere where we're not supposed to be and we're trying to get back to where we're supposed to be, our friends need us," Spike said with a slightly concerned look on his face as he tried to mentally make sure that what he was saying made sense.

"So if you're not supposed to be here…how are you going to get back…to wherever it is that you're supposed to be…," Joyce asked softly as she stood up and began to look around, as if the answers to her questions were written on the walls.

"Don't have a bloody clue…but ole Rupert will hopefully know something…or at least be able to point us in the right direction…," Spike answered with an unsure frown on his face as Buffy calmly nodded her head in approval.  Joyce was just about to answer another question when the doorbell rang and a few seconds later Giles entered the living room looking very flustered and nervous.

"What's wrong…Giles…," Buffy asked with a very nervous look on her face as she sat up on the couch and away from Spike, who didn't move but stared on in concern.

"I didn't think that I could help you with the portal…then one of my old books fell off of the table and when I bent down to pick it up something caught my eye…does this look familiar to either of you," Giles said with a flustered and nervous frown on his face as he set a large and dusty book down on the coffee table, opening it about halfway before spinning it around and pushing it towards Buffy.

"Yeah…that's the portal that I went through all right…," Buffy replied softly after a few seconds of looking at the color illustration on the page.

"The Bit and I to…you did good Ripper…," Spike added with a sly smile on his face, mostly because at the mention of Giles' old name the watcher when ghostly white and rigid, as he wrapped an arm around Buffy and looked over her shoulder. 

"Oh dear…," Giles muttered softly under his breath as he took the book back and adjusted his glasses.

"What's wrong…that didn't sound like a very good oh dear…," Buffy asked with a growing level of concern in her voice as she leaned forward a bit and looked ready to stand up.

"This portal is not a natural occurrence…it's only caused by a very powerful magic spell, and it's only able to open up…," Giles started to stammer out with a nervous look on his face as he stood up and started to turn away.

"What is it Giles, what aren't you telling us…it's only able to open up…when…," Buffy asked with a demanding scowl on her face as she stood up and started to take a step before Giles' answer stopped her dead in her tracks.

"The portal is one that is supposed to be able to allow those that pass through to travel through time and space, but it's location changes every time that it's opened…and it's only able to open once every…three years…," Giles answered with a look on his face that seemed to indicate that he was finding all of this to overwhelming.

"What…what do you…you don't mean that we…three years…," Buffy mouthed out softly with a glazed over look in her eyes as she sat back down beside Spike.

"Unfortunately yes…it looks like the three of you are stuck here…for the next few years…anyway," Giles replied with an overwhelmed frown on his face before he sat down in the chair that Joyce had vacated and began to vigorously clean his glasses.  

"But something came through the portal that Molly and I went through, and the portal that Buffy went through wasn't even close to ours…how did…," Spike asked with a look of disbelief on his face as he tried his best to comfort Buffy.

"I don't know…but if whatever it was that came through your portal was somehow…outside of time…or cast the spell itself then…it might have intentionally sent the there of you here," Giles said with an almost completely lost look on his face, looking as if he was grasping for straws and hoping that one would sound coherent.

"So we're stuck here for the next three years…what are we going to do…," Buffy asked breathlessly as she was struggling to keep from crying.  

"You could…I mean if you wanted…you could stay here and…," Giles started to say with an optimistic look on his face, but with a quick glance at her watcher Buffy could see that he was just as nervous and confused as they were.  

"Thanks for the offer Giles…but we can't stay here, we've messed things up enough as is…," Spike exclaimed with a slightly scared look on his face as he gave Buffy a tight and supportive squeeze.  

"But where Spike…we can't let them remember any of this or else it'll change the future…," Buffy whispered softly into Spike's ear as Giles and Joyce looked on in confusion.

"I don't know…but look at it this way luv…we've got all the time in the bloody world to figure it out," Spike said out loud with a look of grim resignation on his face as he shook his head.

*                       *                           *                              *                           *                  *

"Please Mr. Giles…," Fred asked with a nervous look of hope on her face as Giles wracked his brain trying to figure out how to respond.  When he had set about gaining information about the First Giles had come across an entry in a journal, that Quentin Travers had quickly plucked from his hands, that contained both Wesley and Faith's names, and the word that sent a chill through his body, tortured.  Giles cleared his throat loudly before taking a sip of tea and hazarding a reply.

"I don't really know that much about it…after they fired him the Watcher's Council really didn't keep that close of tabs on Wesley…and Buffy didn't say very much when she came back from L.A….," Giles said with a very nervous look on his face as Rhona and the other new slayers began to slowly crowd around, as if it were story time at a nursery school.  

"Wait…they fired him…why," Wood asked with a confused and slightly shocked look on his face as Giles shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  

"Because he failed in his duties as a watcher," Giles answered with an uncomfortable smile on his face as he found himself beginning to perspire.  

"How…Rupert…I have to know…please," Wood asked with a pleading look on his face before he winced slightly in pain and had to lower his head a bit to compose himself.  

"Well he…I mean…," Giles stammered out with a very nervous frown on his face as Dawn and Lorne looked up from their seats behind the counter.  Wood was about to demand a better answer when Angel burst through the Hyperion's front doors with Gunn holding the door open for Faith to help Wesley through.  

"What's up Angel-cakes…wait I know that look…what's wrong," Lorne asked with a chipper smile on his face at first before his countenance fell and his tone grew serious.

"She's back…I think…," Angel mumbled with a nervous and overwhelmed frown on his face as he seemed to not know what to do.

"Who's back…," Xander asked with a confused frown on his face as he and Willow slowly walked down the stairs with a scowling Kennedy following closely behind.  

"Cordelia…," Gunn answered with a very serious frown on his face as he helped Faith find Wesley a seat on the circular couch.

"She woke up…," Fred asked with a restrained look of hope on her face and a bright light in her eyes, hoping against hope.

"Not exactly…Lilah showed us some pictures that she had recently received…and Cordelia was in them…looking very well for someone who's been in a coma for the last few days," Wesley gasped out with a tired look on his face as Faith stood by his side, a hand on his shoulder and a concerned look on her face.

"A…c…coma…but…," Willow stuttered out with a look of disbelief on her face as she looked back and forth between Wesley and Angel, hoping that one of them would explain.  

"Long story best left for another time…Willow, I think the affects of your last healing spell is wearing off…," Wesley said through a pained grimace before Willow eyed him for a bit before nodding her head and turning to Giles.

"Do we have enough of the ingredients…," Willow asked with a slightly tired frown on her face as Kennedy slipped her hand into Willows.

"I think so…," Giles replied quickly as he rose to his feet and headed for the stairs, eternally grateful for the interruption.

"Good, then let's get started," Wesley said with a pained wince as he stood up, letting Faith and Gunn help him towards the stairs.

"Okay back to Cordy…a coma…and now back…back where…," Xander asked with a thoroughly confused look on his face as he sat down in Giles' empty seat.

"That's what we're going to find out, Dawn where's Buffy," Angel said with a very serious frown on his face as he set the file and the digital video camera down on the counter, unaware of a pair of greedy eyes staring its way.

"I think she's asleep upstairs in one of the rooms…do you want me to go get her…," Dawn replied with a look that seemed to say that she was glad to be of some help.  Angel thought carefully for a few seconds before responding.

"No…she's been through a lot we'd better let her sleep…now…," Angel started to say with a tired sigh before Andrew grabbed the digital video camera and turned it on, handing the file to Xander, who nearly dropped it upon looking at the first photograph.

"A…Anya…," Xander gasped nearly passing out in shock as everyone in the room stared at him with confused looks on their faces.

"I thought that's who she was but I wasn't sure…now when Gunn gets back I'm going back to Sunnydale to find Cordelia," Angel said with a very authoritative look on his face as he walked over to the newly rebuilt weapons cabinet and took out his favorite sword. 

"I'm going with you…," Xander exclaimed with a very serious look on his face as he tried to steady himself after seeing Anya in the pictures.

"Then get a weapon and wait outside…if we're lucky the Beast won't still be there…and you can talk to Riley…he and I…don't get along…," Angel started to say with a slight nod of his head before he seemed to grow uncomfortable.  Before anyone could ask another question Angel turned on his heel and walked back out of the Hyperion.

*                   *                        *                             *                         *                             *

After Angel and his group had left Faith had tried her best to stay out of Wesley's room, letting him get some sleep.  She didn't know why but she felt that she should be there, beside him, if only to watch over him and be there if he needed anything.  She let out a small snort at the thought of herself playing nursemaid to the man that she had nearly tortured to death only a few years earlier.  But in those few years a lot had changed, she had changed, he had changed, and both for the better.  When Robin walked slowly back into what everyone had, under their breath, called their room he looked tired and a bit weary but full of questions just waiting to be asked.

"Okay, let me have it," Faith said with a reluctant smile on her face as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and pulled herself up to a seated position, offering Robin a spot beside her.  

"What…I…," Robin stammered out with a confused and a little taken aback frown on his face as he slowly sat down beside her.

"I can just tell that you've got like a thousand questions that you want to ask me…so…ask already…," Faith said with a shrug of her shoulders before she bent her knee up and put her shoe on the edge of the bed so that she could retie it.  

"Alright…I tried to ask Giles but we were interrupted before he was able to tell me anything…other than the Watchers Council fired Wesley because he failed in his duties as watcher…," Robin said with a nervous frown on his face as he alternated between looking Faith in the eye and looking at an old painting of a meadow on the wall.  Had he been watching her face the whole time Robin would have seen her level of nervousness steadily grow.

"Simplest explanation is I went rogue and B didn't listen to a word that he said…not much need for a watcher that neither slayer will listen to…so they cut him loose…not surprised…," Faith answered slowly trying to make it sound as if she didn't care about the events of the past.

"That makes sense…I think, but why are you so protective of him…helping him around wherever he goes…," Robin asked with a nervous slump of his shoulders as he suddenly found it impossible to look Faith in the eye and ask the question at the same time.

"I told you…I owe him…after what I did I…he didn't deserve what I did to him…ya know what…how about we talk about something else…anything else…," Faith replied at first with confidence before her mask fell and the pace of her speech picked up as she nearly jumped up off of the bed and walked towards the dresser, carefully to keep out of reflection alignment of the mirror perched on the wall.

"Why are you avoiding the question Faith…was what you did to him truly that bad…I mean I've only known him for a very short amount of time and…," Robin started to reply with an impatient furrow of his brows as he stood up before Faith's head shot up.

"You've only known him for a very short amount of time and what…diagnosed him already…think you know everything that there is to know about him…sorry but like most things in life there's much more to Wes than meets the eye…much more…," Faith exclaimed defiantly at first, with a touch of raw anger and impatience in her voice, before she regained her composure and began to idly open and close the dresser drawers.  

"See that's what I mean…no matter what I or anyone else says you're always defending him…if I didn't know better I'd say that you were in love with him…," Robin muttered angrily as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, garnering only a short laugh from Faith in response.

"That's what you're worried about…not whether or not we can stop this apocalypse or a creature that almost put me out of my misery the last time we met but if I'm in love with Wesley…," Faith shot back with an accusing glare on her face as at first to her the inference of the last part was ludicrous, but as she said the words the validity of his fears seemed to grow, if only in her mind.

"No…it's just that…I don't want to lose you…," Wood said in a softer tone of voice as he cursed himself silently for overreaching in his assessment.

"Who said you were…I just owe Wesley and I'm going to try my hardest to make it up to him…that's all there is to it," Faith said softly with a slightly nervous look on her face as she turned back around to face Robin.  

"Okay…let's try something different…what's say we don't talk at all…," Robin said with a soft smile on his face as he stood up and walked over to Faith.

"Sounds good…what did you have in mind…," Faith replied with a sexy smirk on her face before Robin leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"Something like that…," Robin said with a happy smile on his face as he let Faith lead him back towards the bed.

*                        *                         *                           *                          *                      * 

Wesley waited until after Giles, Willow, and Kennedy had left the room before he dared to hazard a glance.  He had slept during much of the healing spell and already he could feel its effects on his body.  His head no longer felt like a train wreck and the pain in his chest and shoulder had eased.  He was grateful that Giles hadn't come back in to check on him yet as it gave Wesley the time he needed to clean up a bit.  He slowly stood up and made his way to the bathroom, turning on the cold water and splashing it on his face.  The face in the mirror reminded him a lot of the face that he had seen shortly before a lot of his memories went fuzzy.  Without meaning to his thoughts suddenly took a u-turn and placed themselves directly on how nice it had been being that close to Faith.  He didn't know for what reasons his thoughts went down that path but their depths startled him.  He knew that he shouldn't possess these feelings towards Faith, feelings that he was scared to admit had been there for some time, albeit tempered by the events of the past.  For much of the time since leaving Sunnydale he had chalked the feelings up to much the same that he had for Cordelia, feelings where he had decided that nothing would come about from them.  Hoping to clear his mind he made it back to the bed before he found that he couldn't keep his eyes open and he slid back down onto the bed before sleep overtook him once again.  

When he awoke his mouth was dry and his more grifter like self sounded like it was shouting through a bullhorn for a drink.  He tried his best to quell that voice but the more he tried the louder it got.  Finally giving in and resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get any decent amount of sleep until he got himself good and plastered he pulled himself up to his feet and out of the room.  He hadn't gone to far down the hallway when a door opened and a yawning Faith walked out, adjusting the fit of her shirt.

"Hey Wes…what are you doing walking around…I thought that you were supposed to be sleeping…letting Will's magic work," Faith asked with a slightly worried look on her face as she looked up at Wesley and jammed her hands into the pockets of her jeans.  

"I fully intend to Faith…but first I need a drink…," Wesley replied politely with a tired smile on his face before he pushed on past Faith and headed for the stairs.  Faith started to turn back towards the room, getting so far as to lay a hand on the doorknob before stopping.

"You want some company," Faith asked with a nervous frown on her face, her voice faltering noticeably for some unknown reason.  

"Thanks for the offer but I like to drink alone…maybe next time," Wesley replied after thinking for a few seconds.  Before Faith could ask anything else he was off down the stairs and headed towards the door.  Almost completely without a second thought Faith let go of the doorknob, turned on her heel and followed after him.  She tried to keep telling herself that she was only following him because it wasn't safe for any of them to be out in the city alone but another thought began to worm its way into her mind and heart.  A thought that seemed to infer that maybe Robin's fears weren't so unfounded after all.

END OF CHAPTER 8


	9. Nerves Of Steel

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 9-NERVES OF STEEL**

With knuckles whiter than the light that you see after you die Andrew tightly held his death grip on the vans armrests.  He had been almost thrown into the seat by an overly anxious and somewhat angry Angel after Willow had made it clear in no uncertain terms that Andrew by himself could be dangerous and annoying, but Andrew with a video camera was a harbinger of the apocalypse.  Xander sat in the chair beside him, intently scrutinizing every single square inch of the pictures that Angel had received from Lilah.  Even with only one eye the ex-carpenter didn't miss a single aspect of the pictures, even going so far as to notice that there were a few pictures missing.  Gunn had stayed behind to hold the fort in L.A. along with a now almost hyperventilating Fred.  Giles had initially decided not to go but had then quickly changed his mind, after Willow had said that she'd be alright with Kennedy at her side, and almost missed Angel as he was about to head back towards the Wolfram and Hart building.  Angel and the others had traveled back there to get a big enough vehicle that could fit everyone inside and allow for the fact that only Los Angels was currently operating without the sun.  Angel wasn't about to get Cordelia back only to have him disintegrate into a ball of flames in front of her two seconds later.

"I like this chair…it's comfy…," Andrew mumbled with a happy and content smirk on his face while his hands still kept their death grip on the armrest, making for a very unusual sight.

"Yeah…real comfy…," Xander mumbled in reply as he wiped away the tears that blurred his vision and fell unimpeded onto the pictures in his hands.  

"How much further…," Angel asked impatiently from the passenger seat as he came close for the second time to driving his hand through the window.

"Another hour or so Angel…please try to calm down…," Giles replied with a nervous frown on his face as he pushed the accelerator down even further, fretting at the eighty miles an hour reading on the speedometer.

"I can't…I'll be calm when I know for sure about Cordy…," Angel said with a very frustrated scowl on his face as he leaned his head back and fingered the hilt of the swords that sat between his legs.

"Lilah just gave you these Angel…no threats…no…," Xander asked with a nervous and confused look on his face as he broke into the conversation.

"No threats at all…in fact she seemed a little to eager to give me those…why…," Angel said with a concerned frown on his face as he ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"Nothing really…but I noticed that there are some pictures missing…and…," Xander replied with a deep in thought look of worry on his face as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Missing…what do you mean," Angel asked in surprise as he turned back and motioned for Xander to give him the pictures, which the ex-carpenter did reluctantly.

"You see the numbers in the upper right hand corner…one slash twelve, two slash twelve and so on…," Xander replied with a serious look on his face as beside him Andrew looked on in glee as if this was one of his wildest dreams come true.

"Yeah…so what…wait pictures five, six, and seven are missing…," Angel muttered with a slowly growing tone of contempt and anger in his voice before he added, "Great…now for all we know we could be walking straight into a trap."  In the back seat Andrew went a ghostly white and almost passed out while Xander grabbed the axe that Gunn had thrown him on the way out and mentally started to prepare himself for battle.

*                       *                        *                          *                            *                           *

Wesley had taken one of the few remaining cabs in the city back to the Wolfram and Hart building to get his suv before heading off to one of his usual pubs.  After he had fallen out of favor with Angel and the others at Angel Investigations he had become quite familiar with many of the local bars and pubs.  Usually he'd drink until he felt like he was about to pass out, in a vain attempt to dull the aching crater in his heart, before passing out at the table and ending up being woken up the next morning or later that night by the bartender.  He had lost some money that way and after a while had resorted to only taking enough money to pay for the drinks.  On this night however his mission was only to drink enough so that he could get a good nights sleep and get the thoughts of Faith, which now seemed to be constantly at the forefront of his mind, out of his head.  He could still smell her intoxicating aroma of the combination of shampoo, perfume, and various body lotions.  He had no more than sat down and taken the first swig of his first beer of the evening, at a local demon dive, when a voice musically broke in from behind him.

"You know how hard it was for me to follow you Wes…," Faith said with a fake look of anger on her face as she pulled up a chair and sat down beside him, motioning to the bartender to bring her one of what Wesley was drinking.

"Hello Faith…I thought I told you that…," Wesley started to say without changing the look on his face before he took another swig of beer.

"I know…but since when have I ever done anything that you told me to do…thanks," Faith replied with a sexy smile and wink Wesley's way before thanking the bartender for the beer.

"Well you should have listened this time…I prefer to drink alone…," Wesley said with a stone cold serious look on his face as he leaned forward in his chair and set his bottle of beer back down on the table.

"So I've heard…wanna tell me why…," Faith asked softly with a look of concern on her face before she took a sip of her beer and leaned forward on her elbows on the table.

"Because…bloody hell just because…," Wesley stammered out in frustration before Faith let out a short laugh that for some reason seemed to ease the tension between the two.  

"You're ears turn red when you get angry…I never noticed that…," Faith added with a sly snicker before she took another sip of her beer.

"Me either…," Wesley mumbled back softly as he nervously lifted a hand up and scratched his right ear.

"So what's the game plan Wes…try to find the answers to all of your problems at the bottom of a bottle…," Faith asked with a very serious tone to her voice that she hid behind a slightly playful smile.  

"Something like that…listen I can take care of myself out here tonight, you should go back to the Hyperion and stand guard…take care of Robin…," Wesley said slowly as if he were making it up as he went along.  Faith flinched a bit at Robin's name before she swallowed hard and answered.

"You don't like him…," Faith asked with a nervous frown on her face that she hid behind her bottle of beer.

"It's that obvious…," Wesley mumbled back with an uncertain smirk on his face before he finished off his bottle of beer and motioned for two more.  Mostly because he got the distinct impression that not matter what he did or said Faith wasn't going anywhere until she got her point across, whatever it was.  

"Yeah…at least to me…but then slayer senses and all…," Faith offered up with a short chuckle before she ran a nervous hand through her hair.

"Sorry if that's not what you hoped would happen but…," Wesley started to say with a slightly worried frown on his face before Faith cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"Hey…you're entitled to like or hate who you want…but yeah there was that hope…," Faith started to say with a casual tone to her voice before her mood turned somber a bit.

"Faith…I really am…sorry, I know that I haven't known him for more than like a few minutes but…," Wesley trailed off with a worried scowl on his face as he suddenly found that he couldn't look Faith in the eye.

"How about we change the subject before one of us ends up with a few less teeth…," Faith replied with a nervous smile before she finished off her bottle of beer and sat back a bit as the bartender put another one in front of her.

"Agreed…besides I'd hate to have to ruin that beautiful smile of yours," Wesley chided back with a sly snicker before he took the first drink of his second beer.  Faith started to say something sarcastic in response but thought better of it and just smiled and shook her head.  "Was there something in particular that you wanted to talk about or…were you just throwing out the concept," Wesley added with a now more serious look on his face, one that he had used many a time before.

"Are you happy…," Faith asked, her eyes seemingly super glued to the rim of her beer bottle, as she nervously shuffled her feet under the table.

"And by happy you mean…what exactly," Wesley replied with a question of his own as he wasn't sure exactly where Faith was going with her new line of questions.

"Happy…you know…at a point in your life where you want to be…have friends, loved ones…and all that shit…," Faith asked with an impatient frown on her face, looking to Wesley that she was just about to jump out of her chair and out the door.

"Hmm…if that's the criteria that we're using for this then I'd have to say…no…I'm not happy," Wesley answered with a grim scowl on his face before he took another swig.

"That's what I thought…," Faith mumbled sadly as she leaned her head back and took a big long swig of beer.

"And you…are you…," Wesley asked softly, keeping his eyes staring straight ahead at an old poster on the far wall.  Faiths only reply, at first, was to shrug her shoulders before Wesley cocked an eyebrow and stared at her she solemnly shook her head.  "Birds of a feather…and all that," Wesley said with a solemn look on his face before he unconsciously took a gamble and laid a hand overtop of Faiths free hand.  

"We are two really fucked up people aren't we…," Faith said with a slow nod of her head in agreement as she didn't flinch a bit at Wesley's touch.  

"Yeah…I've been tortured, blown up, shot, and had my throat slit nearly from one bloody ear to the other…and yet…," Wesley added as he slowly nodded his head and looked over at Faith.

"You wouldn't trade any of it for the world right…," Faith interjected with a tired yawn as she looked over at Wesley.

"Well I could have done without the torture part but…in the end it worked out for the best so all's well that ends well right…," Wesley said with a nervous shrug of his shoulders before he took another drink.

"What do you mean…I nearly killed you…," Faith exclaimed with an angry scowl on her face as she ripped her hand out form under Wesley's and balled it up into a fist.

"But you didn't Faith…that's the point…and because of how that all turned out you got started on your road to redemption…a road that I could use myself…try to see if I can get back to what I once was…," Wesley shot back with a serious, but not angry or sad, look on his face as Faith leaned forward a bit, seeming to hang on every word.

"What you once were…," Faith mouthed back in response without any sound coming out of her lips.

"A good man…," Wesley finished Faith's thought with a dejected and sullen look on his face as he slumped down in his chair and started to try to drain the bottle of beer in one gulp before Faith angrily grabbed the bottle away.

"Wait a damn minute Wesley…you are a good man…sure you've made some mistakes in your past but who hasn't…you can't dwell on the past forever…you've got to move on, you've got to believe that fate has something good in store for you…otherwise what's the use," Faith exclaimed angrily as she slammed Wesley's bottle of beer down onto the table and looked him in the eye.

"I thought you didn't believe in fate…that's what you said that night…," Wesley muttered with a slightly frustrated scowl on his face as he took his bottle of beer back and took a drink. 

"Back then I didn't, at that time life was like a roller coaster to me…it had its ups and downs but in the end you're always just going around in a circle, going nowhere…but now I'm not so sure…," Faith shot back with an aggressive look on her face as she sat up straight in her chair and glared at Wesley.  

"Fate can be fickle…but I have often wondered about the other things that you said that night…would things have been different if I had been Buffy's watcher and Giles been your watcher…and if I had the…," Wesley started to say with a nonchalant frown on his face before he shut up and looked away.

"I remember Wesley…all to well…I asked you if you had the hots for me…but you never really got the chance to answer me did you…now this is going to sound stupid but there were times in prison where I did lie there and wonder what your answer would have been to that last question had I not been torturing you," Faith confided softly to Wesley before she began to nervously tap her fingers on the table and looked away.

"Well that was a very direct question for you to have asked me…but you're right…I really never answered that question…perhaps it's high time that I did…," Wesley started to say while slowly nodding his head before his tone grew serious and he turned to Faith, who stopped tapping her fingers on the table and let out a shaky breath as his gaze locked onto hers.  

"So what's your answer…," Faith asked, forcing the words out through a nerve clenched jaw, as she leaned in closer, mirroring Wesley's movements.

"You tell me…," Wesley said softly as he took a gamble and quickly gapped the space in between them and placed a soft kiss on her lips.  Wesley nearly had a heart attack as he waited for Faith's response.  For a split second she leaned back a bit and opened up her eyes to once again lock gazes with Wesley.  But just as Wesley was about to apologize for being to forward Faith grabbed the back of his head and pulled him into a deep, passionate, eager kiss, their tongues ultimately battling each other for control.

*                      *                       *                           *                       *                     *

"Eww…I've got sand in places that I didn't even know I had and…," Cordelia groaned with a frustrated scowl on her face as she started to stand up.  

"Well that wasn't as bad as the great sandstorm in '02…," Anya said with a slightly unhappy frown on her face as she pulled herself up beside Cordelia.

"Oh my…," Cordelia raced out with a shocked and horrified look on her face before she turned away and tried to calm her queasy stomach.

"What…oh neat…entrails…," Anya asked with a confused look on her face at first before a large smile spread itself across her face.

"What…," Cordelia shouted in total confusion before Anya couldn't take it anymore and broke into a fit of laughter as the sun just started to slip beneath the horizon.

"When you've see one set of entrails you've seen em all," Anya replied with a look that seemed to say that she could care less as she walked around the broken down car and towards the horribly mutilated corpse of one of the Initiative soldiers.  

"That doesn't help…," Cordelia mumbled with a sarcastic scowl on her face as she slowly walked around the rear of the car and tried to shake the dust and dirt off of her clothes.

"Did you see what did this…," Anya asked with a deep in thought look on her face as she squatted down and crossed her arms, looking around the body for anything clues.

"Sorry but I was a little to preoccupied with not dying…," Cordelia answered with an uncertain look on her face as she walked up next to Anya and wrinkled her nose at the sight of the body.

"Well someone should still be here…unless they all ended up like this guy…," Anya started to say with an optimistic look on her face and tone to her voice before she sighed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Let's hope he's the only one…," Cordelia said with a sick to her stomach look on her face as she walked away from the corpse.

"Hey wait for me…," Anya shouted in surprise as she jumped to her feet and ran off after Cordelia.

*                   *                      *                        *                *               *                        *

Neither had spoken since the kiss, both unsure of exactly what to say, both unwilling to admit that they had enjoyed the act more than they thought they would.  Faith sat low in her chair, draining one bottle after another, hoping to ease her nerves.  Wesley meanwhile chose to intently scrutinize the labels on his bottles before he drained them of their contents.  By the time an hour had passed since the kiss Wesley and Faith were doing all that they could to even stay in their seats, as a few minutes earlier the bartender had cut them off and refused to give them any more beer.

"You two fleshbags got a lot of nerve showing your faces around here and…," an arrogant voice from behind Faith started to say before she winked at Wesley and whirled around out of the chair and to her feet.  Seconds later Faith was busy smashing the demons head into the table.

"Hey Wes look…it's our old friend Frank…," Faith said with an energized smile on her face as she continued to bash the demons head into the table.

"It's Francis…," Francis was able to shout out in between times that his head was bashed into the table.

"Say goodnight Francis…," Wesley replied with a calm smirk on his face before in one motion he reached into his coat, pulled out one of his guns, and made good on an earlier promise.

"Good night Francis…," Faith added with a mocking wave as she let Francis' body fall to the ground, stepping over him and grabbing another couple of beers despite the bartenders best efforts before returning to her seat.  Everyone in the bar fearfully stared at the body of the demon on the floor with its brains blown out of the back of its head.

END OF CHAPTER 9


	10. Nope, No One Yet, And Confusion

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 10-NOPE, NO ONE YET, AND CONFUSION**

It was almost two in the morning before Wesley and Faith finally brought to a halt their night of drinking and fighting.  Both had drank more than they had ever thought possible.  Much of the fighting had come as a result of their inebriated condition and a few demons that hadn't been very happy that two humans were drinking beside them.  Wesley had become so drunk that Faith had to help him stand, and the burning sensation in his chest had come back.  Had he been sober he would have realized that the pain stemmed from the effects of Willow's spell wearing off, but in his current condition the pain was simply an irritant.  Faith had begun flirting wildly with every man that she met, forcing Wesley to use all of his strength to pull her back to their table or booth.  Several times during the night Faith had pulled Wesley into a kiss that seemed to offer much more if he was interested.  But he had always pushed her away with what little remained of his willpower, even though a slowly growing voice in the back of his mind was begging for him to not spurn her advances the next time the opportunity arose.  It would be only a couple of hours before dawn before Wesley and Faith would finally end their wild night.  After the last bar Wesley had splashed water on his face in an attempt to clear his vision.  Knowing that neither he nor Faith were sober enough to drive he had mumbled something incoherently to Faith, who returned the words by looping her arms around his neck and pulling him into the last fiery and passionate kiss of the night.  When the sun slipped up above the horizon it would find the two, fully clothed and completely oblivious of what had transpired the night before, passed out in Wesley's office at Wolfram and Hart.  Wesley had collapsed into the chair behind his desk while Faith had passed out on the couch, curling up into a small ball.

*                           *                         *                        *                      *                           *

Giles cautiously pulled the van to a halt at the side of one of the larger downed black tents.  Without checking whether or not the sun had fully gone down Angel vaulted out of the van and instantly began going from body to body, surveying the damage and looking for survivors.  Andrew slid out of his seat with a nervous look on his face before he saw the first body and rushed behind one of the tents before giving in to the bile that was quickly rising in his throat.  Shaking his head at the former villain's actions Giles sighed deeply before saying a silent prayer for the deceased.  Xander slid out shortly thereafter and after forcing himself to swallow with a sickly look on his face took off running in search of Anya.

"Did you find any survivors," Giles asked softly with a frustrated frown on his face as Angel walked back towards him, trying his best to brush the dirt and blood off of his hands.

"No…and I can't smell Cordelia or Anya anywhere," Angel replied with a grim scowl on his face as Andrew sheepishly shrugged his shoulders and turned the digital video camera off.

"Are you sure…I know that you'd be able to recognize Cordelia's scent because of your work together but with Anya…," Giles trailed off with a worried frown on his face before he took his glasses off and began to clean then with a handkerchief from his pocket.

"I didn't smell anything other than what I expected to…blood, gunpowder…and death…," Angel mumbled back softly in reply as the two and a half century old vampire looked about ready to pull his hair out.  

"What do you want me to do…," Andrew asked meekly as he visibly cringed and turned slightly away from Angel, expecting to be shouted at.

"Start walking that way and don't stop until I tell you…got it," Angel said with a frustrated scowl on his face as he glared lightly at Andrew before taking off in the opposite direction that he had pointed out to Andrew.  Andrew quickly nodded his head and took off as fast as his legs could carry him in the opposite direction, fully intent on proving his worth to Angel.  Giles pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to stave off the urge to yell at Andrew to slow down.  Minutes later a nervous and exasperated Xander ran up and bent over an attempt to catch his breath.

"Anything…," Angel asked with a nervous look of hope on his face, a look of hope that fell apart in an instant as Xander sullenly shook his head. 

"Angel…do you think that this…all this…could possibly have just been…," Giles asked with a worried and frustrated scowl on his face as he turned back to Angel.

"A wild goose chase Giles…no…those pictures are real…she's here, Cordelia's here…or at least she was…and I intend to find her," Angel answered with an impatient frown on his face before he turned and took off in the opposite way that Andrew had gone.

"Where's the nerd headed to…," Xander asked slowly as he had finally regained enough breath to form complete sentences.

"Angel sent him off to look for Cordelia and Anya…but come to think of it I'm not sure if Angel should have sent him off all alone…," Giles replied with a tired look on his face as he dug a hand into his jeans pocket in the search of his handkerchief.

"Getting soft in your old age Giles…," Xander quipped with a sly grin on his face as he lifted his head up a bit and gave the old watcher a wink.

"Hardly…but maybe it would be prudent if you made sure that Andrew didn't get into any trouble…or fall into the crater," Giles replied with a slightly perturbed frown on his face and his arms crossed before Xander chuckled a bit and set off after the former villain.

*                    *                     *                          *                       *                           *

"Anything…," Vi asked with a nervous frown on her face as she walked out of one of the rooms on the Hyperion's third floor and looked down the hallway at the others.

"Nope…no sign of her," Rhona answered with a frustrated frown on her face as she shook her head and leaned back up against the wall.  

"This doesn't make any sense…I saw her walk down the stairs and then to the front doors before I looked down for a bit…and when I looked back up she was gone…she should be in one of these rooms," Dawn exclaimed with a nervous frown on her face as she took a deep breath and crossed her arms.

"Don't worry Dawnie…she's here, Buffy wouldn't leave without telling anyone…," Willow said with a hopefully reassuring smile as she patted Dawn on the shoulder while beside her Kennedy rolled her eyes and turned away.

"But…," Dawn started to reply with a worried look on her face before a nervous Fred came around the corner and interrupted her.

"Everybody come downstairs quick…," Fred gasped out quickly as she doubled over slightly in her attempt to catch her breath.

"What is it Fred…," Willow asked with a concerned frown on her face as she walked towards the Texan.

"Lorne thinks that he may have found something," Fred replied with a still out of breath look of exasperation on her face before she straightened up and headed off back down the stairs.  Willow was just about to yell for Fred to slow down a bit before Dawn rushed by and headed towards the stairs.

"Guess we go downstairs…," Kennedy quipped with a sarcastic frown on her face as Willow sighed and shook her head before following Dawn and Fred.

*                       *                     *                                     *                     *                   *

After Giles' startling revelation Buffy, Spike, and Molly had retreated to one of the cheaper hotels that Sunnydale offered.  Giles and Joyce had done their best to try to convince the trio to stay with either one of them but Spike had begrudgingly declined and said that the three had some circumstances to discuss, and that they needed privacy to do them.  Before the three left Buffy asked Giles if he would again tell her younger self and the Scooby's to not tell anyone about their presence.  Giles' brows had furrowed in concern a bit at that request but after a few seconds the old watcher and agreed and Joyce a minute later.  When the trio got to the hotel Buffy had started to head to the managers office to get them lodgings for the night but Molly had offered to undertake that assignment.  Buffy had started to argue before Spike had thrown the young slayer some money and gave her the green light.

"Why did you do that…," Buffy asked with a demanding look on her face, the one that Spike had always thought that she looked so cute wearing.

"Calm down luv…we're going to be here for awhile so I thought it best if the Bit learned to do some things on her own…besides…," Spike answered with at first a calm frown on his face before his countenance changed into a sly smile as he wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist and pulled her close, kissing the nape of her neck.  A short giggle escaped Buffy's lips before she turned around in Spike's grasp so that the two were face to face.

"I know…but what are we going to do…we can't stay here and the money that Giles gave me isn't going to last very long…not to mention the fact that no one here can remember us and…," Buffy started so say slowly at first before she began to mumble and stare at first Spike and then at the ground.  She was stopped abruptly by Spike as the former vampire placed two fingers overtop her lips and smiled.

"It'll all work out Buffy, there are plenty of places in this world for us to go…places where three people can disappear for a few years…and we'll deal with everyone's memories tomorrow…," Spike whispered softly back before he moved the fingers that were overtop his loves mouth and used them to wipe away a salty tear that had somehow managed to free itself.

"But how Spike, we can't just ask them to forget us…and what are we supposed to tell people that we meet along the way…we can't tell them the truth…," Buffy asked with a nervous look on her face as she slid around to Spike's side and laid her head on his shoulder.

"We'll use a spell or some potion or something to make everyone forget about us…then we'll take whatever we need to get us started on our search for that spell to take us home from Giles…along with those notes that he scribbled down, can't leave anything behind…and if anyone asks we'll just say that we're newlyweds looking for a place to settle down…," Spike replied softly with a deep breath as he stared up into the sky, which was awash with a sea of bright colors as the sun was almost beneath the horizon.

"Okay…that's works for most of it…but what about Molly…people will get all wigged out if we say that we're newlyweds and…," Buffy said with a confused frown on her face at first before she gazed up through Spike's featherlike eyelashes at the first few stars that appeared in the night sky.

"Well…uhm…we'll just say that…she's my little sister, yeah…our parents died a few years ago and so she's going to stay with us whenever we find a place," Spike stuttered out with a nervous look on his face at first before his confidence in his idea grew and a proud smile quickly spread itself across his face.  

"That could work…but first we're going to have to find you a last name, because if we're going to pose as newlyweds then I need to know your last name…," Buffy said with a slight nod of her head and shrug of her shoulders before Spike shifted his weight from his left foot to his right with a nervous frown on his face.

"Sorry luv…but…honestly I don't remember my last name…never needed one as a vampire so…," Spike mumbled with a very nervous frown on his face as he gave Buffy a reassuring squeeze.  

"You could always just use mine…I know Summers might not sound British enough for you but…," Buffy replied with an almost comforting tone to her voice as she slid her other arm around Spike and leaned in a bit closer to the former vampire.

"Nothing wrong with the name Summers pet…but yeah a right proper British last name is what I need…hmm…," Spike said with a calm look on his face as he and Buffy slowly sat down on the hood of a nearby car.

"What about using my last name…," Molly asked with a slightly embarrassed smile on her face as she clasped her hands together behind her back.

"What…," Buffy asked with a nervous look on her face as she and Spike were shaken out of the serene state that they had been in only moments before.

"You said that Spike needed a British name…and if he and I are going to pass as brother and sister then we'd need the same bloody name right…so what about Windholm," Molly said, with a little bit more confidence in her voice, as she stood up straight and looked at the couple in front of her for their reaction.  

"How did you…," Spike mumbled softly as he looked at the smirk that played across Molly's face.

"I got the rooms quickly enough and when I came back you two were lost in your own little world so…," Molly answered with a nervous smile on her face as she unclasped her hands from behind her back and held up two keys in front of her face.

"Wait…two keys, why…," Buffy asked with a nervous and slightly confused frown on her face as her brows furrowed before Molly giggled a bit and answered.

"A room for me and one for the two of you…what, I'm not blind…I need my beauty sleep and I think it's safe to say that you two won't be getting much sleep tonight so…," Molly said with an overly smug smile on her face before she winked at Spike, tossed him one of the keys and headed off towards her room.

"Are we that obvious pet…," Spike asked with a slightly embarrassed grin on his face as he looked down at Buffy, who smiled back up at him.  

"Only you Spike…only you…," Buffy replied with a stifled laugh before she took the key from Spike and headed off towards their room.  As she walked Buffy could hear Spike mumble something under his breath about how Molly was beginning to remind him a little too much of Dawn.

*                         *                     *                              *                      *                        *

Consciousness returned Faith at almost exactly the same moment the throbbing pain in her head did.  Waking up with a hangover was nothing new to Faith but it took a few moments to regain her bearings as at first glance she didn't recognize her surroundings.  She slowly started to calm down when she squinted through the bright glare of the rays of sun streaming into the room to see Wesley snoring softly in his chair behind his desk.  Even though she tried her best to remember the previous night Faith found that much of the night was a total blank, all that she got when she tried to remember was a feeling like she had gotten something big off of her chest and now felt better about it.  Her lips tasted of beer and dried vomit, forcing her to almost crawl to the bathroom and pull herself up to the sink.  She slowly turned the cold water knob on the top of the sink and let the water run for a bit before dipping her hands under the stream of water.  A slight shiver ran through her body as the frigid water came into contact with her skin.  With a nervous shrug of her shoulders Faith cupped her hands under the jet of water, and when a sufficient amount of water had built up there she leaned down and splashed the collected water onto her face.  Faith jumped a bit at the face that greeted her in the mirror when she looked up, for it looked as if she had been through every dumpster in Los Angeles, and had thrown up in every one.  Her makeup, what was left of it, was a mess and there were clumps of dried something in her hair that elicited a sickly frown as she started to pull them out.  

Faith started to lean down to splash some more water on her face when a sudden surge of bile in her throat forced her to rush to the toilet, and violently throw up the lid before she was wracked by a fit of vomiting.  When the fit finally subsided she sunk back down to the floor of the bathroom, leaning back up against the finely tiled wall.  Even though she tried to fight it she found herself drifting off back to sleep.  She was still in that same position when Wesley stumbled into the bathroom a few hours later.  

The bright glare of the almost midday sun streaming through his office window nearly blinded Wesley when he finally woke up.  His mouth tasted of booze, blood, and oddly enough a little bit of what he finally determined was lipstick.  Cursing the hangover that with each step felt like someone was beating on a large drum in his brain Wesley stumbled to the bathroom.  He was to out of it to see Faith scrunched up near the toilet at first so he did his best to walk to the sink before furrowing his brows at the sight of the water still running.  Shrugging it off Wesley bent down and splashed his face and neck with the now almost artic water before he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye.  

"Faith…," Wesley asked softly with a kind look on his face as he knelt down beside the former rogue slayer, who slowly looked back up at him with a tired look on her face.  

"Wes…," Faith answered softly with a slightly confused look on her face as she let Wesley help her back up to her feet.  

"How's your head…," Wesley asked with a concerned look on his face as he saw the uncomfortable grimace on Faith's face.

"Not so loud…," Faith moaned with an annoyed look on her face as Wesley helped her back out to the couch and sat down beside her.  

"Sorry…," Wesley whispered softly with a sly smirk on his face as he leaned all the way back in his seat, an act which Faith soon imitated.

"Sure you are…," Faith mumbled back with a fake tone of anger in her voice as she lightly hit Wesley in the shoulder.

"Now isn't this just a cozy sight…and after what you two were doing last night…," Lilah purred with a vindictive smile on her face as she entered the room with a large manila folder in her hands.

"What do you…want Lilah," Wesley started to yell before the all too familiar pain in his chest returned and he had to pause for a bit before finishing.  

"And what do you mean…what we two were doing last night…you mean getting piss ass drunk…," Faith added with an angry tone to her voice as if by want rather than rational thought she pulled her feet up onto the couch and snuggled up next to Wesley.

"Wait…you mean that you two don't remember anything about last night…," Lilah asked, the excited fireworks going off in her eyes as she lightly leaned on Wesley's desk.

"No Lilah, last night is pretty much a total blank after I left the Hyperion…why…," Wesley replied with a frustrated scowl on his face as he brought a hand up and scratched his chin.  

"Oh no reason…but most people…not me exactly, but most…would be embarrassed if were to go as far as you two did last night…," Lilah purred back with a devilish look of enjoyment on her face as Wesley and Faith regarded her with worried and confused looks on their faces.  "See you around Wes…," Lilah added with a wicked smile on her face as she left the room, leaving a bewildered Wesley and Faith to struggle to piece together the events of the past night.

END OF CHAPTER 10


	11. We Meet Again, And I Don't Like Him

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 11-WE MEET AGAIN, AND I DON'T LIKE HIM**

He had been doing his best to follow Andrew for what felt like at least an hour before Xander finally lost track of the nerd and sat down.  It was now nearly the middle of the night and they hadn't found anyone, let alone Anya.  With a sudden sense of dread be began to wonder if any of the demons that had lived in Sunnydale had made it through the city's collapse.  Shaking off a nervous sigh he stood back up and took off in the direction where he last saw Andrew.  He didn't remember Andrew being able to move very fast but soon Xander found himself wishing that he had place a collar with a little bell on it around the former nerd's neck before letting him out of the van.  

"Uh hello…is anyone there…C-Cordelia, Anya…," Andrew shouted meekly with a terrified look on his face as he held the digital video camera up in front of him and waved it all around.  His scared question was greeted by complete silence, causing the former nerd villain to almost jump out of his own skin when he heard someone call his name.

"Andrew…," Anya shouted more out of shock than out of joy as she and Cordelia slowly materialized out of the darkness.

"Ah…," Andrew screamed with a terrified look on his face as he caught site of the two women, completely covered head to toe in dust, dirt, and a little blood.  

"Andrew…," Cordelia shouted with an angry frown on her face as she tried to grab hold of and calm down the nerd.

"N…no…you're not real…you're…," Andrew stammered out with a very scared look on his face before Anya shrugged her shoulders, reared back, and slapped Andrew hard across the face.

"Get a hold of yourself Andrew…we're real…enough," Anya shouted with a very annoyed scowl on her face as he placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward to glare at Andrew.

"Ow…that hurt," Andrew moaned with a sad puppy dog look on his face as he placed a hand on the cheek that Anya had just slapped.

"Quit complaining ya big baby…I didn't hit ya that hard," Anya replied with a bored roll of her eyes as she turned back towards Cordelia.

"Andrew…what are you doing here," Cordelia asked with a hesitant look of hope on her face as she tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear.  

"Looking for the two of you…," Andrew answered with a nervous frown on his face as he took a quick step back away from Cordelia and Anya.  

"Well this is you lucky day then…you found us in record time, and with only a little bit of screaming like a girl…," Anya started to say with a slightly amused smile on her face before she was interrupted.

"Anya…," Xander gasped out with an overwhelmed look on his face as he came upon the scene.

"Xander…," Anya said back, barely louder than a whisper, as she turned to face her former fiancé.  A tear welled up in Andrew's eye as he saw Xander and Anya rush towards each other and then embrace tightly.  For her part Cordelia watched the pair for a few seconds before she turned away, looking like she were about to cry.

"Yep, mission accomplished," Andrew mumbled to no one in particular with an overjoyed look on his face as happy tears slid down his cheeks.

*                        *                       *                       *                      *                             *

"Well…," Dawn asked with a very worried look on her face as she crowded in next to Vi, who along with Gunn was holding the front doors of the Hyperion open.  Willow and Kennedy stood off to one side, silently following the action in front of them.  Lorne stood in the middle of the open doorway with his eyes closed and a serious frown on his face while behind him Fred held a blank notepad and a new pen.  

"Yep…I was right…," Lorne mumbled with a pleased smile on his face before he opened his eyes and turned around.

"Right about what," Robin asked with a slightly confused and concerned scowl on his face as he stood at the top of the stairs.  All eyes turned to the son of a former slayer as he slowly walked down the stairs, only wincing slightly as he almost slipped on the last step.

"About what happened to Buffy," Vi answered with a worried look on her face as she jammed her hands into her pockets.

"What do you mean what happened to Buffy, isn't she asleep upstairs in one of the rooms," Robin demanded with a every growing look of concern on his face as he covered the distance between the bottom of the stairs and the small group assembled at the Hyperion's front doors.

"Uh…um…no," Will stuttered softly with a very nervous scrunching up of her face and shrug of her shoulders as Kennedy wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders.

"I don't know why everyone's worrying so much…she probably just went out for a walk or something…," Kennedy said with a dismissive frown on her face as he kept herself from looking Dawn's way.

"She would have told one of us if she had Kennedy," Fred said with a serious frown on her face as she put pen to paper and started to write.

"So any luck in finding her…," Robin asked with a frustrated look on his face as he ran a nervous hand over his head.

"If you define luck by the absence of success then…lots…," Willow replied meekly, looking suddenly like she did back in her freshman year of high school before Buffy came and everything changed.

"Okay…then where's Faith…she's still here, somewhere…right," Robin said with a steadily growing look of concern on his face as he put his hands on his hips and looked around at everyone assembled.

"Uh actually…she's kinda missing in action to…I haven't seen her since last night," Rhona replied with a nervous and repressed look of fear on her face as she glanced up at Robin.

"What do you mean you haven't seen her since last night, wasn't she here all night," Gunn asked with an unhappy frown on his face as he looked to Fred, who shared his concerns.

"I…I don't know, the last time I saw her she followed that, other watcher out the front doors," Vi replied meekly with a slight shrug of her shoulders before she walked over and sat down on the bottom step of the stairs.

"Of course…I should have known…Wyndam-Pryce," Robin muttered angrily under his breath, but loud enough that everyone near him heard, before he turned on his heel and looked like had Wesley been standing there the former watcher would have gotten socked.  

"She was probably just following him to make sure that nothing happened…without the sun it's not a safe place out there…for any of us," Willow said with a hopeful smile on her face as she looked back and forth between Robin and Gunn.  

"What time is it...," Robin asked with a very frustrated frown on his face as he tried to keep his temper under control.

"Well it's almost noon…I…I'm sure they're on their way back by now…," Willow replied with a happy smile on her face at first before she saw the look of anger on Robin's face and quickly shut up.  

"Uh not to break up the fun but…shouldn't we get back to trying to figure out where Buffy is…," Vi asked with a nervous look on her face as she kept Willow in between her and Robin.

"Yes, yes we should," Fred stated with a very commanding tone of voice and look on her face as she looked up from what she had been scribbling on the top piece of paper.

"Well this is just a guess mind you…but it doesn't look good," Lorne said with a sad and serious look on his face as he half turned back to look at Willow and Dawn.

"W…what do you mean it doesn't look good," Dawn asked with a very worried look on her face as she grabbed Lorne's arm and squeezed harder than she intended to.

"I'm not…entirely sure but with all of the residual emotions that I'm feeling right here are definitely from Buffy…but they only last up to a point before they just disappear like Milli Vannili," Lorne said with a pained look on his face before Dawn realized how tightly she was holding onto the empathy demon and let go. 

"Who…," Vi asked with a confused frown on her face as she looked around the assembled group for answers.

"Never mind Vi…anything else Lorne," Gunn asked with a concerned frown on his face as he let the Hyperion's front doors got shut.

"Only that there was some mighty powerful magic at work here…mighty enough to be scary…," Lorne replied with a slightly scared look on his face before he turned away from the door and walked back towards the kitchen with a slightly sickly look on his face.

*                       *                      *                          *                        *                         *

The meeting between Anya and Xander had happened a little over an hour before and Anya and Cordelia had already recounted their adventures in the hereafter limbo world before the quartet caught site again of the Initiative tents.  Xander had few questions to ask during the journey, being to overjoyed with the fact that Anya was back where he thought she belonged to think of any, while Andrew was constantly coming up with one new question after another.  By the time Anya saw Giles picking through what was left of the largest tent she and Cordelia were about ready to reach out and strangle the former nerd.

"Giles…," Anya shouted with a delighted fervor to her voice as she sped off towards the old watcher and wrapped him in a tight bear hug before he could even utter her name in the form of a question.

"Hi Giles…," Cordelia said with a tired smile on her face and a week wave of her hand before she collapsed down onto the first open chair that she came across.

"We did it…," Andrew squealed with a smile of sheer delight on his face as he had to his best high wire impression to keep from dropping the digital video camera.

"A…Anya…oh my," Giles stammered out with a completely confused look on his face at first, as Anya released her crushing grip on him, before crushing her in a hug of bear hug of his own.

"Yes Giles…nice to see you…uh Xander…," Anya started to say with a happy smile on her face before she became worried and almost yelled the last bit.

"Easy G-man, ya don't wanna crush her," Xander said with a slightly worried look on his face as he rushed to Anya's aide and pried an overwhelmed Giles off of her.

"Yes…of course, I'm sorry I…," Giles said with a flustered look on his face as he took a step back to completely survey the situation in front of him.

"If you're going to ask us why we're not dead in Anya's case…or in a coma for me well…guess you'll have to ask Spike or Molly, wherever they ran off to…they'd know more than us…," Cordelia exclaimed with a tired sigh and shrug of her shoulders as she began to sift through the contents of a nearby trunk.

"Wait…Spike…Molly, but they're…," Xander stumbled out with a confused and startled look on his face as he turned back and forth between Cordelia and Anya.

"Alive and well last time we saw them…," Anya interjected with an optimistic smile on her face before she to entered the tent and began to scrounge around for something to eat.

"But…at the vineyard…and…," Xander asked with a thoroughly confused look on his face as he motioned to back to the large crater that was Sunnydale.

"Yeah they died…and now they're alive again…but who hasn't gone through that," Anya started to say with an absentminded smirk on her face before she realized that Giles, Andrew, and Xander were staring at her.  "Okay…after I died I was alone for a long time except for the souls of those that hadn't made it out of Sunnydale before…but then Cordelia shows up and we talked for a bit before Spike just walked up, right out of the blue…he was naked…," Anya added with a huge and sly grin on her face as he took a second to remember the scene.

"So then we talk for a bit before Joyce, or at least something that looked a lot like Joyce showed up and offered to help, she said that Spike had a choice about whether or not to help Buffy and Dawn or go to hell, he chose to help Buffy and Dawn," Cordelia said with a bored look on her face as she brought a banana out of the trunk and smiled before noticing that Giles was still looking on with a confused look on his face.

"So Joyce made Spike human…well more than human actually, a male slayer if you will…," Anya said with a weary look on her face as she spotted a small refrigerator and went to investigate.

"Oh my…," Was all that Giles could get out as his and Xander's brains were furiously trying to take in and process all that they were hearing.

"As for Molly…well we found her later on in the wreckage, don't ask me how she made it but she did…," Cordelia added on through a mouthful of the banana.

"But how…how did the two of you…," Andrew stammered out softly as he began to scratch his head with a confused frown on his face.

"Well Joyce gave me the choice about whether or not I wanted to live again and be with Xander and Cordelia well…pretty much the same, exact for the Xander part," Anya said with a proud look on her face as she brought a bottle of water out of the small refrigerator and opened it before taking a long drink.  She went to take another drink but had to stop as Xander rushed forward and hugged her tightly again.

"This is…this is all…unprecedented…you have to tell Angel what you just told me...," Giles started to stammer out with a concerned and serious look on his face before he stopped abruptly as when he said Angel's name Cordelia almost choked on her banana.

"A…Angel…he's here…," Cordelia stammered out with a terrified look on her face as she shakily stood up out of her chair and started to almost frantically look for something to hide behind.

"Cordelia, what is it, what's wrong…," Giles asked with a confused and worried frown on his face as he took a step forward in hopes of calming the former cheerleader down.

"He…he can't…not yet, not after what I did…," Cordelia mumbled out softly, still with the terrified look on her face as she hurried to the darkest part of the tent and hunkered down behind a large stack of boxes.

"What you did…I don't," Giles exclaimed with a confused look on his face as he started to go to Cordelia's side but was halted by Xander.

"Giles…," Xander shouted loudly with a worried look on his face as he rushed past the old watcher and ran off towards a trio of figures that were slowly emerging from the shadows.

"Good heavens…," Giles muttered softly with a worried frown on his face before he hurried, as best he could, after Xander.

"Xander, Giles, over here…," Angel shouted more out of frustration and worry than desperation as he did his best to shift Riley's weight more onto him.

"Riley…geez Angel what happened," Xander asked with a worried frown on his face as he rushed to Riley's side and looped an arm around his shoulders to help Angel.

"I don't know…it just came out of nowhere…it just started killing everyone…," Sam stuttered out with an obviously overwhelmed look on her face as she tried to keep up with Angel and now Xander carrying her husband.  She tried for a bit longer before she sighed deeply and had to lean up against the remains of another tent lest she fall over.

"Here let me…," Giles said with a very kind and non threatening look on his face as he rushed to Sam's side and helped her to limp along on her ankle that had become very painful.  All she could do in response was to smile and nod her head.

"Was it by any chance a but ugly demon made of rock with two big horns on its head, talking like it was the almighty…," Angel asked with a growing look of concern on his face as if he didn't really even need to ask the question as he already felt that he knew the answer.

"Y…yeah, how'd you…," Sam started to reply with a pained grimace on her face before Angel cut in.

"It was the Beast, an extremely powerful demon with the biggest superiority complex I've seen this side of Spike," Angel added with a grim scowl on his face as beside him Xander stifled a short fit of laughter.  

"Are you sure Angel, you and Wesley just fought against it in Los Angeles, could it have had time to travel to Sunnydale," Giles asked with a deep in thought look on his face as he helped Sam find a seat on top of an overturned trunk.

"If it's any help it came out of a portal…," Sam said with a tired look on her face as she kept her gaze locked on Riley, who was slowly starting to come to.  

"Cool…," Andrew mumbled lightly as he had a sudden burst of inspiration and rushed over towards Angel and Xander, lugging a stretcher with him that he had found amidst the carnage.

"No not cool Andrew…," Giles said with a very serious look on his face as he hurried back into the tent in search of a first aid kid and any other medical equipment that he could find.  While he was searching Angel and Xander carefully laid Riley down on the stretcher.  Neither noticed an almost bored looking Anya walk up, still taking a drink from her bottle of water.

"Hello Angel…my he's still tall, dark, and glowery…he's probably evil again," Anya started to say with a calm smile on her face before she turned to Xander and nodded her head as she finished.

"I'm not evil again…why does everybody always…Anya," Angel started to angrily reply more out of habit than listening to what Anya had said before he realized who was talking to him.  Anya started to reply but was cut short when Angel reached out and hugged her tightly.  "Wait, if you're here then…," Angel started to say with almost a too good to be true look on his face as he released Anya before Xander nodded his head and turned and looked back towards the darkened corner of the tent that Cordelia had hidden in.  Without another word Angel rushed over to the boxes and found Cordelia curled up behind them.  "Cordy…," Angel said, almost in a whisper, as he tried to keep himself from kneeling down and taking her into his arms.  With a terrified look on her face, and tears streaming down her cheeks, Cordelia slowly turned around and faced Angel.  Angel made a move to touch her but Cordelia shrank away, with a look of shame on her face that made Angel cringe.

"Don't…Angel…after what I…," Cordelia mumbled out softly through the tears before Angel had had enough.  With one strong motion he leaned down, grabbed her arm and pulled the former cheerleader to her feet.  "Angel…," Was all that Cordelia could get out with a worried look in her eyes before Angel softly brushed some of the dirt off of her cheek with the back of his hand.  "I'm so sorry…it wasn't me…I wasn't in control…I couldn't," Cordelia said as she started to babble recklessly.

"Shh…I know…," Angel whispered back softly before he hugged her tightly as she finally let the tears loose and sobbed against his chest.  Andrew wiped away a tear and decided against turning on the video camera as nearby Xander wore a happy grin.

END OF CHAPTER 11


	12. Bad Morning, And Another Attack

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the new ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 12-BAD MORNING, AND ANOTHER ATTACK**

Faith and Wesley sat in the same position that they had been in when Lilah left them for another half an hour.  Both spent the time trying their best to try to remember what had transpired the night before.  By the end of the thirty minutes neither had come up with anything, except for the fact that Wesley had blown a hole straight through Francis' head.  They shared a good laugh at that before Wesley realized that the bright glare coming from the windows still hadn't subsided.

"That's odd…," Wesley mumbled softly as he stood up and made his way over to the window.

"What is…," Faith asked lazily as she pulled her feet up onto the couch and turned around to look at Wesley at the window, a slightly sickly smile on her face.  

"It's almost noon and there's sunlight coming in…I don't understand…," Wesley replied with a deep in thought frown on his face before Faith crawled over the back of the couch and slowly walked towards him. 

"So what else is new…," Faith quipped with a sexy smile spread across her face as she looked up at Wesley, who frowned down at her with a look of disapproval on his face.  "Sorry…," Faith mumbled under her breath with an apologetic look on her face before Wesley shrugged his shoulders and returned his attention to the window.  Neither noticed when Faith laid a hand on Wesley's left shoulder and laid her head up against his other shoulder.  

"Forget about it…but there shouldn't be any light coming in here, what with the sun being blotted out and all," Wesley questioned out loud with a concerned look on his face as he absentmindedly slipped one arm around Faith's waist and scratched his head with his free hand.

"So then why the painful wakeup," Faith interjected with a slightly worried furrowing of her brows that when Wesley looked down caused him to want to kiss her.  But biting his tongue he only shrugged his shoulders as a response.

"It's a spell, the sunlight…that's what you were wondering about right," Knox said with a slightly scared look on his face as he edged his way into the room.  

"What…," Faith exclaimed in shock as she pulled her hand from Wesley's shoulder and spun around, still with his hand on her hip.

"Ms. Morgan wanted us to wake you two up, so she had a sunlight spell cast on this floor," Knox replied with a proud smile on his face before he focused an observant eye at Wesley's hand on Faith's hip.  Faith looked on with a confused look on her face for a second or two before she realized what Knox was looking at and pulled away from Wesley.  

"It sounds like her…now Knox do you have a purpose for being here or…," Wesley mumbled back with a slightly embarrassed smirk on his face as he walked back towards his desk.  

"Oh uh yes, Mr. Angel has left Los Angeles and traveled back to Sunnydale…," Knox said with a nervous look on his face as he walked towards Wesley's desk, carefully avoiding getting any closer to Faith than he absolutely had to.  

"All that's old news, got anything new for us," Faith asked with a bored look on her face as she took note of the dilapidated state that her clothes were in.

"Of course, our seer's found out that the other slayer…a Ms. Summers was drawn into a portal sometime last night," Knox answered with a very serious and slightly nervous look on his face as he handed Wesley a few papers.

"What kind of portal," Wesley asked almost instinctively before Faith could get a word in edgewise.

"From what we've been able to determine without doing an actual on sight investigation is that this particular portal was the result of a very powerful magic spell, for anything further we'd have to send a team to the Hyperion," Knox replied softly with a calm look on his face as he closed the folder in his hands and only glanced over nervously at Faith.

"So send a fucking team already…if B's in trouble then we have to do something about it, right Wes," Faith exclaimed with a very assertive frown on her face as she walked behind Wesley's desk and hopped up onto it so that she was facing Wesley with her back to Knox.

"Yes Faith, of course…but I would like to lead that team myself, if that's okay…with…you," Wesley started to say with a deep frown of concentration on his face before he grimaced painfully and almost dropped the files that were in his hands.

"Wesley," Faith shouted loudly, the concern and worry in her voice clearly palpable, as she slid off of the desk and caught Wesley in her arms before he could fall forward.

"What's wrong," Knox exclaimed with a very worried and nervous look on his face as he started to rush around the side of the desk, just as Faith was helping Wesley into his chair.

"He pushed himself to hard and almost passed out, he needs Will to do another healing spell…," Faith replied with a very worried and caring look on her face as she knelt down beside Wesley and put her hand to his forehead.

"We have people who could cast such a spell, should I call for them or…," Knox started to say with a very worried look on his face as he fumbled for his cell phone before Faith stopped him.

"Yes…and hurry damn it," Faith shouted angrily as she hopped back up onto the desk and pulled Wesley closer to her.

"Of course," Knox exclaimed with a great amount of fear and nervousness in his voice before he turned on his heel and ran off out of the room.

"Come on Wes, look at me…say something…," Faith pleaded softly with a worried look on her face as she cupped Wesley's chin in her hands and forced her old watcher to look up.

"You have the most beautiful eyes…anyone ever tell you that," Wesley mumbled softly to Faith with a tired and slightly out of it smile on his face.  Faith couldn't help but blush and smile at the compliment before she forced her mind to work again.

"Right back at ya…but this is no time for compliments Wes," Faith replied, holding back a smile and a few tears, as she almost forced Wesley to look her in the eye.

"Erg…," Wesley growled with an angry and painful tone to his voice as he lurched forward and grabbed his chest, falling forward out of the chair.

"Wesley," Faith shouted almost at the top of her lungs with a scared stiff look on her face, while fighting back a sea of tears that were threatening to pour out down her cheeks, as she reacted quickly enough and slid off of the desk, catching Wesley in her arms as she did so.  When Knox returned with the healers that he had told Faith about they would find a very worried Faith trying to push an unconscious Wesley off of her.

*                               *                     *                        *                      *                          *

Time lost its meaning to Angel as he held Cordelia in his arms.  A million questions raced through his mind about a million different things but for the moment he was happier not knowing.  He couldn't keep back all of the painful memories of what had transpired when he and the others at Angel Investigations had thought that she was back the first time.  Scenes of Cordelia sleeping with Connor flashed through his mind and were followed quickly by memories of a pregnant Cordelia initially fooling them all.  He could still remember the look on her face as he held the point of the sword dangerously close to her heart, ready to snuff out her life for the sake of the world.  But he had hesitated, and because of his brief hesitation a higher being had come into the world and nearly destroyed it.  It had taken the death of his son at his own hands to finally bring the nightmare to an end.  And now he was holding the woman that had started it all.  The woman that a few years earlier he would have never believed could ever mean so much to him.

"Angel I," Cordelia mumbled out through a softer sob as she slowly pulled away and looked up at Angel through the tears in her eyes.

"Cordy…," Angel started to say with a very emotional look on his face before he was interrupted by a sinister and mocking laugh.

"Such a tender moment…," The Beast said through a howl of laughter as it stalked its way up out of the crater and glared at Angel, who instantly pushed Cordelia behind him.

"Whoa…," Andrew shouted with a dumbfounded look of sheer terror on his face as he stumbled back a few steps before he tripped over an overturned trunk and fell to the ground.

"Not again…," Sam shouted with an equal amount of worry and fear in her voice as she painfully scrambled her way to Riley's side and positioned herself in between the Beast and her husband.

"Oh dear," Giles muttered loudly before he began to frantically look around him for anything that could possibly be used as a weapon.

"Ha…you quiver and scurry away in terror like the rats you are…come out and face me Angelus…your grandchilde was a pitiful substitute, he even had a little girl fight for him," The Beast said with a sinister grin on its face as Angel drew his sword and charged.  Cordelia rushed back towards Xander, who was busy tearing through one trunk after another looking for a weapon that would do more than annoy the Beast.  The Beast laughed off Angel's first few hacks with his sword with a haughty sneer on its face before Angel ducked under a blow, spun around, and drove the point of his sword straight into the Beast stomach.

"Yeah…," Anya cheered with delight at first before her face fell as Angel's sword snapped in half, allowing a grinning Beast to grab Angel by the collar of his coat and hurl him up into the air and down into the crater.

"Angel," Cordelia screamed with a terrified look on her face as she almost darted out away from Xander to go to Angel's aid.

"Alright…who's next…," The Beast bellowed with a triumphant grin on its face as it kicked away the remains of Angel's sword.

"That'd be me…now be a good creep and say hello to my not so little friend," Xander shouted with a great deal of confidence in his voice as he glared at the Beast and lifted a rocket launcher up to his shoulder.  

"Xander I…," Was all Giles was able to get out before the former carpenter fired the rocket, aiming it directly at the Beast's chest.  True to his aim the rocket shot off out of the launcher and slammed into the Beast's chest, exploding upon impact.  For several eerily silent seconds the Beast was engulfed in a large ball of fire as everyone else did their best to hastily find cover.

"Yeah…I did it…," Xander started to shout with a triumphant smile on his face as he dropped the rocket launcher and turned to Anya.  His triumph was short-lived as from the slowly fading field of fire an unsigned Beast took up a mocking fit of laughter.  "Hey…no fair…it worked before…," Xander sputtered out with a look of disbelief and utter dread on his face as he shook his head and tried to keep Anya behind him.  

"Foolish human, your puny weapon cannot hurt me," The Beast shouted with an arrogant laugh as it stepped out of the fire.  

"No," Sam shouted in desperation as she aimed and quickly emptied two clips at the Beast, only managing to cause the Beast to intensify the grin on its face.

"Nothing that you possess can harm me…my harbingers will come soon and deal with the likes of you…," The Beast shouted with a boastful tone to its voice as it slowly took note of those daring to stand up to it. 

"H…harbingers…," Giles said with a confused look on his face as he picked himself up from the ground, armed only with the pistol that he had been able to find lying on the ground nearby.  

"They are known to you as the Scourge," The Beast answered with a mocking smile on its face before a portal opened up and it stepped back into it, leaving the echo of its laughter hanging in the air for several seconds.

"Angel…," Cordelia shouted now in a full panic as she forgot the possible danger that the Beast might return and raced to the side of the crater.

*                           *                        *                            *                        *                            *

Morning broke in the Sunnydale of the past to find Spike and Buffy asleep in each other's arms and a snoring Molly about ready to fall out of her bed.  Spike woke up first as the first few rays of the morning sun lanced through the paper thin curtains and struck him right in the eyes.  With a muffled curse he slowly disentangled himself from Buffy and pulled his jeans back on.  As he pulled his shirt on Spike lazily yawned and grabbed the roll of money that Buffy had hastily deposited there the night before.  He slipped his socks and boots back on quickly enough before he ran a hand through his hand and headed towards the door.  He was just about to turn the knob when his angel interrupted.

"Spike…," Buffy mumbled softly, still half asleep, with a noticeable amount of fear in her voice as she ran searched for Spike with her hand that she wasn't lying on.

"Right here pet," Spike whispered back softly with a slightly worried look on his face as he walked back towards the bed and sat down beside his angel.  

"Spike…," Buffy mumbled again, but this time with more a touch of terror in her voice, before she finally propped open an eye and saw a very worried Spike staring back at her, his hair a mess.  Before Spike could say anything to try to calm her down Buffy had wrapped her arms around him and buried her head into his chest, all before letting the tears flow.

"Shh…luv, I'm here…don't cry, please," Spike pleaded and begged softly with a scared look on his face as he tried to use a tight embrace to convey to Buffy that he was there and not to worry.

"I dreamed that you left and I couldn't find you and when I woke up I…," Buffy managed to mumble out through the tears before she slowly started to calm down.

"It was just a bad dream Buffy, I'm here…I'm never going to leave you," Spike said back with his best voice of reassurance and a worried look on his face as he was finally able to pry Buffy off of the death grip that she had him in and to look her in the eye.

"Promise…," Buffy asked with a look on her face that seemed to infer that she was silently pinning all of her hopes on his response.

"Cross my heart and hope to die…," Spike whispered back softly with his best truthful smile on his face before he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Buffy's lips.  As he started to slowly pull back she reached her free arm out and pulled him back into another kiss.  Almost instantly Spike forgot what it was that he had been about to do and his shirt soon found a home on the floor on the other side of the room while his jeans slumped down into place beside the bed.

Molly awoke, hours after Spike, when the rumbling in her stomach became loud enough that it was able to rouse her from her slumber.  Her first thought upon returning to consciousness, after needing something to eat, was to remember to buy some toothpaste.  She slowly slid out of bed and pulled her jeans back on before stumbling to the bathroom and turning the faucet on.  She washed her face and did her best to make herself presentable before walking back out into the room to search for her socks.  She finally found one sock under the bed, and rather than slide in under it she used her newfound slayer strength to simply lift the bed up with one hand and grab the article of clothing with the other.  Proud of her accomplishment Molly fished the other sock out of the sheets before plopping down on the edge of the bed to put them on.  From somewhere outside she could hear the sounds of cars whizzing by on the highway, people talking, and a radio playing an old country song.  

Suddenly the thought hit her that Spike and Buffy were probably already up and had let her sleep crossed her mind.  With a furious pace she yanked her socks on and only half tied her shoes before throwing the door to her room open and slamming it shut behind her.  She had gone only a few feet before she remembered her room key and started to turn back.  With a deep sigh of relief she reached into her pocket and felt the key tucked under a few bills that Molly had kept for herself after paying for the rooms the night before.  When she finally got to Spike and Buffy's room she was met by the yawning pair as they were slowly coming out of their room.

"Spike…Buffy," Molly shouted with a nervous look on her face as she almost ran headlong into Spike.

"Easy Nibblet, not so loud, we're not deaf ya know" Spike mumbled back in reply before letting out another large yawn that Buffy soon followed with one of her own as she stretched a bit.

"Sorry," Molly replied with a sheepish smile and shrug of her shoulders before she found herself unable to hold back and joined in the yawning.  

"You're forgiven…but only if you…," Spike started to say with a shrug of his shoulders and slightly cheesy smile on his face before Buffy shook her head and walked away.  "Hey wait," Spike shouted in surprise as he stopped talking to Molly and rushed after Buffy.

"Sorry but I'm hungry and didn't want to interrupt…," Buffy said with a hungry and bored look on her face as she took hold of Spike's hand.  

"Oh no you should have interrupted, I felt like bloody child," Molly said with a slightly annoyed frown on her face as she ran up beside Buffy and ignored Spike.

"No offense pet, but you are a bloody child…," Spike said back with a short snicker, which brought on a very angry glare from Molly.

"Okay that's it…," Molly shouted in anger as she launched herself at Spike, knocking the two to the ground.  "I…am not a…child," Molly yelled with an angry look on her face as she began to jab Spike in the stomach and soon the two were play wrestling on the ground beside a mortified Buffy.

"Molly…Spike…please I…," Buffy said as she tried her best to protest before what started out as a slight snicker at the sight of William the Bloody wrestling on the ground with Molly turned into a full blown fit of laughter.  The noon bells chimed happily as Buffy continued to watch the scene if front of her, laughing as she hadn't done in a very long time.

END OF CHAPTER 12


	13. Healing And A Sliver Of Hope

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 13-HEALING AND A SLIVER OF HOPE**

Ten minutes later Knox returned with the healers that he had told Faith about.  It took nearly all of them to pull Wesley off of Faith, but the former rogue slayer insisted on getting Wesley to the couch by herself.  Knox quickly picked up everything that was on the small table near the couch and then helped Faith move the table and pull a chair up close.  Faith initially seemed weary of the healers but was soon more focused on Wesley and his steadily worsening condition.

"Help him…," Faith shouted with an angry scowl on her face as she gently lifted Wesley's head up and laid a small pillow behind it.  Several of the healers looked about ready to wet themselves for a few seconds before they regained their composure and took up positions around Wesley.

"Uh Miss Faith…you know now that I think about it maybe we should leave and let them do their work…it…," Knox mumbled out with a nervous frown on his face as he glanced around at the healers.

"I'm not going anywhere until I know that Wesley is alright," Faith replied with a very stern and serious frown on her face as she took Wesley's right hand into hers and interwove their fingers.  "Well…what are you waiting for…," Faith shouted with a frustrated tone to her voice as she glared at the healers, who only looked to become more nervous at her outburst.  Almost instantly after she had shouted at the healers the small group closed their eyes and began chanting softly.  To her surprise Faith found herself becoming unable to keep her eyes open.  Her eyelids had for some unknown reason become as heavy as granite.  She fought for what she felt like hours to stay awake before she couldn't do it any longer and succumbed to the spell.

*                             *                       *                          *                         *                       *

The cloud of dust and dirt stirred up by Angel's descent into the crater had yet to come to rest before Cordelia clamored up to the edge.  Her heart was beating so fast and loud that she was having trouble hearing anything else.  She leaned dangerously over the edge of the crater and began to frantically search for any sign of the man that she loved but was incapable of saying more than a few simple words to.

"Cordy…," Xander shouted with a concerned frown on his face as he rushed to his former girlfriend's side and knelt down.

"Where is he Xander…do you see him, Angel…," Cordelia asked Xander with a nervous and almost frantic look of worry on her face before she decided to take the more direct approach and screamed out Angel's name.

"Where is he," Anya asked with an uncertain look on her face as she ran up beside Xander and gazed down into the crater.

"That's what we're trying to find out An…Cordy wait here, I'll see if I can find him," Xander replied at first with a nervous frown on his face before he finished speaking with an unsure look on his face as he slowly began to climb down into the crater that had once been his hometown.  Xander had only gone a few feet down into the crater before he half turned around to make sure that no one was following him.  Anya stood at the crater's edge with an impatient and worried frown on her face while Cordelia didn't seem to have moved or even heard him.  She still leaned dangerously over the edge of the crater in her frantic search for Angel.  "Great idea Harris, sending the guy with the depth perception problem down into the crater to find the undead…in the middle of the night no less," Xander mumbled softly to himself with a sarcastic frown on his face as he started to slowly pick his way through the rubble.  Back up on the edge of the crater Anya and Cordelia continued to look for Angel and watch Xander before the latter disappeared completely into the night.

*                         *                      *                            *                         *                         *

It had taken some time for Buffy to finally pull Spike and Molly apart enough and make them promise to not go at it again.  Molly's solemn nod of acceptance reminded her greatly of how Dawn would have responded in the same situation.  Spike had hung his head and agreed softly before the trio had taken off towards the high school.  Luckily for them the streets were empty enough that they were able to make good time in their journey.  Many times during the trip the trio was forced to stop as Spike would abruptly stop walking and clothes his eyes and just soak in the warm rays of the sun.  By the time they got to the school lunchtime was in full effect.  They tried their best to get through the halls without being noticed but many of the guys stopped and stared at Buffy, a few sending their gazes Molly's way, as many of the young women imitated their male classmates and instead stared at Spike.  

"This is getting us nowhere fast pet," Spike muttered under his breath to Buffy as he leaned in closer and took her by the hand.  

"Tell me about it, I don't remember the halls ever being this crowded…," Buffy mumbled back in reply with a nervous and slightly confused frown on her face as she tried to keep from looking anyone in the eye.

"Uh…I think that we should get to the library…," Molly said with a nervous frown on her face as she tried to hide herself behind Spike and Buffy.  With a nervous nod of his head Spike began to slowly lead the trio towards the library, sometimes utilizing the wall of lockers as a buffer to get by the throng of students.  It took some doing but the trio finally made it to the library, with Spike gentlemanly holding the door open for both Buffy and Molly.

"Whew…we made it," Buffy sighed with a slightly worn out frown on her face as she sat down in the nearest chair.

"Finally," Molly added with a soft mumble as she leaned up against the counter with a nervous yawn.  

"Excuse me may I…ah Buffy, good…you're back," Giles said with at first an almost annoyed frown on his face before he looked around the corner of the bookcase and saw who it was that had entered the library.

"What, you think we'd just up and leave without telling anyone…shame on you Rupert," Spike chided back with his usual cocky smirk as he sauntered over and sat down beside Buffy, throwing his feet up onto the top of the table.

"Of course…uh could you please take your feet off of the table, this is a library you know, not a saloon," Giles shot back with a frustrated scowl on his face as he slowly walked down the stairs and adjusted his glasses.  Spike started to come up with a clever response but a stern look from Buffy stopped him.

"Fine…," Spike mumbled softly with a slightly defeated look on his face as he slid his feet off of the table and moved his chair a bit closer to Buffy's.  

"So Giles…have you found out anything that could help us get back to our time…a little sooner preferably," Buffy asked with a nervous look of hope on her face as she laid her hand out flat on the top of the table.  Giles stood silently in thought for a few seconds before answering.

"I'm sorry Buffy but from all of the research that I've done the three of you cannot go home any sooner, however I can help you get started in finding someone with the ability to cast the spell, I stayed up all night looking through some of my older volumes and came up with a name," Giles replied softly with an unhappy frown on his face as he walked over and sat down at the opposite end of the table to Spike and Buffy.  

"So spill already Giles…," Molly demanded with an impatient frown on her face and her hands on her hips as she stood back up.  

"Molly…," Buffy growled softly under her breath as she shot the new slayer an icy glare before turning her head back to Giles and smiling. 

"Sorry," Molly mumbled back sadly with a pout as she slowly walked over and sat down beside Spike, making sure to not look Buffy in the eye.  

"Anyway…the name that I found was Noxon, it's said that she is an ancient being that has the power…more than enough actually, to cast the spell and get the three of you back home where you belong," Giles said with a serious tone to his voice after initially loudly clearing his throat to get everyone's attention.

"Good, so where do we find this…Noxon, I don't suppose that we'd be lucky enough and she'd have an add in the yellow pages, ya know…Noxin the mistress of time travel spells in big letters with her address and number underneath," Buffy quipped back with a slightly cheesy smile on her face, one that seemed to dim increasingly at Giles' lack of mirth.

"I wish…unfortunately the book said that Noxon's whereabouts have been a mystery for the last couple of centuries, she could be anywhere, if she even still exists…," Giles said with a nervous and sad look on his face before he looked out through the windows and ran a hand through his hair.  

"Great…so we're looking for a possibly nonexistent needle in a bloody haystack," Spike grumbled with an angry scowl on his face as he leaned forward and laid his hand overtop of Buffy's.

*                      *                         *                           *                      *                           *

When consciousness returned to her world the first emotion that presented itself was panic.  She threw open her eyes and frantically began to look around the room, feeling nervous at the emptiness of the room.  As she finished her sweep around the room she turned her attention back to Wesley, who seemed to be resting peacefully on the couch.  Faith was relieved to see that she still held Wesley's hand in hers. With a nervous yawn she stood up and laid Wesley's hand back down at his side before returning to his desk to try to pick up the mess.  She picked up the files quickly enough and pulled open one of the drawers to put it away before she stopped abruptly.  Sitting far back in the drawer, looking completely inconspicuous on its own, was a rather hefty file with her name clearly printed on the tab.  Almost unconsciously she jammed the file that she had picked up into the front of the drawer before removing the file with her name on it with hands that she was shocked to see were shaking.

"Let's see…," Faith mumbled softly with a concerned frown on her face as she set the file down on the top of the desk and pulled Wesley chair up close before sitting down.  The first few papers that Faith saw when she opened the file were some of the correspondence that Wesley had received in his attempts to get Faith a pardon.  Pressing on Faith hastily ignored the opinions of the several psychologists that had been to see her in prison before something caught her eye.  She quickly flipped over a few more pages before she got a good look at it.  It was an old photograph that at first Faith couldn't remember having been taken.  It was one of all of the Scoobies sitting around Buffy with a nervous looking Angel standing directly behind Xander and Buffy.  That in and of itself wasn't what caught her eye; instead it was the two people standing at the back.  Moving her head a bit closer to the picture Faith peered at the pair in the back.  Wesley stood there looking ready for an official photo, all gussied up in a suit and tie while beside him sat her younger self.  From the picture she could see that the photographer had taken the picture at possibly an inopportune moment.  Squinting at the picture Faith was amazed to see that not only was Wesley glancing over at her through the proud smile that he wore but that she was staring right back at him.  But instead of the proud smile that he wore on his face she wore one of her best come hither smiles that she had used so many times before.  "That's weird…," Faith said with a nervous tone to her voice as she set the picture back down on its top so that she wouldn't have to look at it anymore.

"What is…," Wesley asked softly through a yawn as he slowly picked his head up off of the pillow.

"Wesley…," Faith shouted in both alarm and relief as she looked up from her place behind his desk.  

"Is something wrong Faith…you look…," Wesley mumbled back in reply as he gingerly rolled over and pushed himself up to his feet.

"N…no…I was just…," Faith stammered back as a reply at first before she pushed back away from Wesley's desk and nervously rushed to his side.

"Snooping around through my desk…," Wesley shot back at first with a stern and almost angry scowl on his face before he couldn't hold the look anymore and started to laugh at the sight of the worried and almost scared look on Faith's face.

"Jerk…," Faith grumbled with an embarrassed and slightly angry smile on her face as she lightly punched Wesley in the shoulder before helping him to sit down in the chair that she had just vacated.

"Delinquent…," Wesley shot back with a daring smirk on his face, one that he couldn't help but allow to grow ever larger as time went on.

"Ooh Wes…you really know how to hurt a lady's feelings…," Faith replied in a mock shocked southern accent as she played up her part.

"You're not a lady Faith…anymore than I'm George Clooney…," Wesley exclaimed with an expectant smile on his face and shrug of his shoulders as he pulled back up close to his desk.

"Well you know if you let your hair grow out a little bit who knows…maybe you could…," Faith said with an equally expectant smile on her face before she plopped down in the plush chair that sat on the other side of Wesley's desk.

"Bet you'd like that wouldn't you Faith…," Wesley asked with a quick glance up at Faith before he turned his gaze back down to the file on the desk in front of him.  

"Sure, but that's not what's important right now…what's important right now is that you're okay…so…are you," Faith relented at first with a nervous smile on her face before her countenance became much more serious and almost worried as she looked back up at her former watcher.

"Other than feeling a bit tired…yes Faith I'm fine…and thank you for all that you did," Wesley replied with a very thankful smile on his face as he looked back up at Faith.

"You're welcome…just don't do that again okay, you're too heavy for me to be carrying you around everywhere…," Faith answered with a restrained snicker before she couldn't help but let out a short laugh.  Before long the two were caught up in a fit of gentle laughter that seemed to break the tension.

*                     *                       *                                *                           *                          *

"Well I called over to Wolfram and Hart and Lilah said that Wesley and Faith are in his office and have been since early this morning," Fred announced with an uncertain frown on her face as she hung up the phone and turned to Giles and Robin.

"Did Lilah say…what they have been doing all of this time…," Robin asked with a concerned and somewhat disappointed frown on his face as he scratched the back of his head.  In response Fred meagerly shook her head.

"Knowing Lilah she'd probably lie to you anyway," Gunn added with an unimpressed scowl on his face as he leaned forward over the counter and laid a hand on Fred's shoulder.

"No…but from what she did say it sounded like the two had a pretty wild night, and that they were so hung-over that they couldn't remember anything about what happened," Fred added with a nervous frown on her face as she pushed a stray lock of hair behind hear ear and looked down at her shoes.

"So what are we waiting for, shouldn't one of us go and…," Robin asked with a nervous and impatient frown on his face as he reached for his coat.

"No one's going anywhere…," Angel exclaimed loudly as he walked forcefully back into the Hyperion, shielding everyone's prying eyes from a dirty and disheveled Cordelia.  

"Angel good you're…Cordy," Fred started to say with a large sigh of relief before she almost screamed out the last bit as her eyes began to water.  Angel hesitated slightly before allowing Fred to rush past him and envelope the former cheerleader in a bear hug.

"What happened…," Gun asked with a worried and slightly confused look on his face as he rushed around the corner of the counter to help a weary Angel stay on his feet.

"We got lucky…but not how you're thinking…," Andrew exclaimed loudly at first before he blushed a deep red and squeaked out the last part.

"Hey everybody…miss me…," Anya called out with an excited smile on her face as she waved to everyone assembled in the lobby as Giles brushed past her and head for the kitchen.  

"Anya…," A startled Dawn choked out with an overwhelmed look on her face before she hopped down the last few steps and gripped first Anya, and then Xander, in the tightest bear hug that she could muster.

"We found Cordy and Anya…Riley and Sam to…," Xander hacked out through a short fit of coughing as Dawn released him from her bear hug.

"Riley and Sam…what were they doing there…," Willow asked with a nervous and slightly worried frown on her face as she slowly descended the stairs, followed closely behind by an unhappy Kennedy.

"Apparently trying to figure out what happened to Sunnydale…and using Spike as a punching bag enough to scare Molly into telling them what they wanted to hear," Giles replied with a very concerned scowl on his face as he walked back into the lobby with a damp towel in one hand and a dry one draped over his shoulder.

"Spike…," Dawn asked softly, her eyes wider than silver dollars, as she fought back the tears and tried to keep from sobbing.

"Yep he's back…but he's not dead anymore…and he's like Buffy now…only male," Anya answered with a proud smile on her face as she crossed her arms and looked around the lobby at all of the confused stares of the newly made slayers.

"But why…how…," Willow stammered out with a confused and overwhelmed frown on her face as she walked up next to Xander.  

"Don't ask me about the how…but I can answer the why…he's back to protect you and Buffy from some coming evil…so where is the ole Buffster anyway," Cordelia started to say with an impatient frown on her face as she accepted the towel that Giles handed to her.

"Uh…she's not here, exactly…," A very nervous Willow answered softly as she refused to look Angel in the eye.

"Willow…," Angel asked with a quickly growing tone of worry to his voice as he turned towards the witch and furrowed his brows.

"We found a portal…bottom line she's lost somewhere in the past…," Willow answered with a very nervous and scared look on her face as she stared at the tops of her shoes rather than glancing around to see the full impact of her words.

END OF CHAPTER 13


	14. In The Meantime, And Worry

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 14-IN THE MEANTIME, AND WORRY**

No matter how hard she tried she couldn't remember when it had started.  Most days she found herself wearing more and more of Spike's clothes.  She would only wear his shirts and coats and things like that but on more than one occasion she had found herself unable to determine whether or not a shirt belonged to her or Spike.  This time around Spike wasn't so picky with who wore his new duster, as Buffy used it whenever she went out to get some milk and the night was a bit chilly.  Truth be told Spike would later let it slip that he let Buffy wear his duster a great deal because he simply loved how she looked wearing it.  He had allowed Molly to wear the duster once to a party and she had come home with an ugly stain on it.  The new slayer had been in tears when Buffy had found her and the two had spent the night doing everything they could to get the stain out.  By morning's first light the stain was out and Spike was none the wiser, just one of the many secrets that Buffy and Molly began to share.  It had been almost six months since that day in Sunnydale when Giles had laid out what they needed to do to get back home.  He had told them about a sorceress named Noxon that would have more than enough power to send them all home.  But the hard part had come in their attempts to find this Noxon.  Giles had given them a place to start but after six months they had still found nothing about the mysterious sorceress.  

True to his word Spike had mixed a rather potent cocktail of spell ingredients and in the end no one in Sunnydale remembered that the three had ever been there.  Buffy's only memory's of that day was that everyone looked at her funny the entire day.  Giles had taken more than three weeks trying to iron out exactly what had happened to his latest paycheck and in the end had given up and written it off to the hellmouth.  Six months post Sunnydale had found the trio nestled in a small town on the outskirts of San Antonio Texas.  It had taken Buffy and Molly three months of begging, pleading, and straining their eyes to make their best sad puppy dog eyes before Spike had finally relented.  Their wish had been to see William the Bloody, the former scourge of Europe and killer of slayers, dressed up as a cowboy, complete with the spurs, chaps, and ten gallon hat.  Molly had been sure to buy plenty of disposable cameras for the event and afterwards had enough pictures to fill up about half of the scrapbook that she was compiling of their adventures through the past.  Her favorite had been of Spike's face after he had gotten bucked off by one angry bull during a charity rodeo.  The organizers had at first been adamant about not letting Spike ride, saying that he'd get killed, but after some coaxing he had been allowed to ride.  Spike ended up nearly winning the rodeo but his luck ran out with a bull aptly named, Angel.  

By some strange stroke of luck Buffy had run across a developer that had just finished building a new apartment complex but was having trouble finding tenants.  After some haggling Buffy had been able to secure the largest of the apartments at a reduced price since she had promised the developer that she, Spike, and Molly would stay there for over two years.  The developer hadn't even blinked when Buffy handed over the first three months rent on top of the security deposit.  Had he known where the money had come from he might had thought different.  For the first few months after leaving Sunnydale Buffy and Molly had relied almost completely on Spike for money.  Buffy had found a few odd jobs here and there but they didn't stay anywhere to long for her to garner anything but short term part time work.  In most of those jobs her slayer strength had been the deciding factor.  At first Buffy hadn't asked Spike where he got the money but when she finally did he went the extra mile and let her tag along.  Buffy found out that Spike had been stealing from any demon and vampire that he could find that didn't know him.  With the vampires he'd clean a nest out and take what money he could find, sometimes going the extra mile and not staking the vampires until he had knocked them out and searched through their pockets, before pawning off anything and everything that he found of value in the nest.  Buffy had been initially angry at how Spike had gotten the money but in the end she had decided that it was only fair that after everything that vampires and other demons had taken from her that she take something back. 

But now that they had finally found a place to settle down for the time being, while Spike sent out feelers in the demon and vampire communities for any word on Noxon, Buffy and Spike had been able to find full time jobs and get Molly into a good school using forged paperwork.   That aspect had been helped when after only a few weeks Molly had begun pulling in better grades than most of the Scooby's.  Buffy had gotten a job at the local self defense school, teaching and counseling battered women and others on how to protect them themselves and how to work through the traumatic times in their lives.  Once again her slayer training had gotten her the job even when some of her forged paperwork looked a little suspect.  Spike had landed almost every odd job that he could find, from bartending on weekends to performing small favors for some of the better off citizens of the area.  Most of those small favors usually ended up being cleaning out a vampire nest or beheading a rather bothersome demon.  And to pay for some items Spike had resorted to using his knowledge of the future to place a few bets here and there, always appearing as if he would only be guessing at the outcome of a particular game or fight.  All that they had done had prepared them to live in the world of the past, thinking that they could handle anything.  That was until the morning where a nervous Buffy looked down and saw two blue lines where there had only been one before.  There was no doubt about it, Buffy the chosen one, was pregnant.

*                           *                              *                           *                         *                    *

"We really should get back to the hotel you know, they're probably worried about us," Wesley said with a slightly impatient frown on his face as he swept his gaze over the wall of weapons in front of him.  After he had woken up from the effects of the spell and talked a bit with Faith about the old picture he had implored, in fact nearly begged her to let him show her something.  She had been initially hesitant as of the millions of times that she'd heard that line before the formerly rogue slayer wasn't sure that she was ready to hear it from her ex-watcher, yet.

"Yeah…right…," Faith mumbled back softly, her voice filled with more than a fair amount of awe as she ran her fingers over the hilt of a sword that Wesley had become fond of using in the short time since taking charge of the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart along with Angel and the others.

"Faith…," Wesley said, this time a little louder, as he walked up to Faith and leaned up against the wall, being careful to position his body so that he wasn't to close to the business end of any of the weapons.

"Okay…but only if I get to…," Faith started to say with an unhappy pout on her face before her eyes lit up at the sight of a knife and sword combo that caught her eye.

"You look like a kid in a candy store…," Wesley said with a bored yawn and strangely happy smirk on his face before he looked down and noticed the state that his clothes were in.

"I feel like one with all of these beautiful swords, knives, and…," Faith started to reply with an ecstatic look on her face before she looked down and noticed the large green stain on the front of her shirt.  "Ugh…I hate demons…," Faith muttered loudly with an angry scowl on her face as she turned back to Wesley.

"I'm not exactly sure what demon all of this blood…if this is indeed blood…comes from, but…," Wesley started to reply with a slightly absentminded frown on his face as he picked at the green stains on his own shirt.

"This is never going to come out…damn, I liked this top to," Faith cursed softly under her breath with an annoyed look on her face as she started to walk away from the wall of weapons.

"Maybe I should drop you off back at the Hyperion so that you can get cleaned up before I do the same at my flat…," Wesley mused with a serious frown on his face as he slipped his hands into his pockets and searched for his keys.

"Why don't we just save a trip and head over to your apartment and do everything there, that way I don't have to face that pack of vultures alone," Faith interjected with a frustrated frown on her face before she imitated Wesley and drove her hands into her pockets.

"Or you could always do that here Mr. Wyndam-Pryce and Ms…," A clean cut Wolfram and Hart associate started to say with an overly eager to please smile on his face before he got hung up on Faith's last name.

"What…," Faith asked with an impatient and slightly angry scowl on her face as she spun around on her heel and glared at the associate.

"We…have a small gym located on the premises, complete with a spacious locker room and…," The associate started to answer with a nervous and slightly scared look on his face as both Faith and Wesley turned their full attention his way.  

"That's good to know…but I don't know about you but neither one of us has anything to change into after said showers…so thank you but…," Wesley said with a fake polite smile on his face as he lightly patted the associate on the shoulder.  

"Yeah…what he said," Faith said with a bored look on her face before she wrinkled her face in disgust as she brought a small swath of her shirt up to her nose and took a sniff.  

"Oh no, that's no problem, no problem at all, we also have a in house tailor that can create and repair clothing in not time flat…it's kind of must when you deal with the clientele that we do, demons seem to have an aversion to a nice suit and tie," The associate added with a scared and nervous smile on his face as he rushed to position himself in front of the door and to try to gain favor with the new boss.

"Gee I wonder why…I've only been here a few hours and I gotta say that I'm feeling a serious need to…," Faith said with a daring smirk on her face as she pulled her hands out of her pockets and tried to look as menacing as she could towards the associate.

"Faith…calm down…please…on second thought I think that we'll take your advice and get cleaned up here…if that tailor that you spoke of can work fast, I don't fancy walking about here in a bloody towel all day," Wesley started to say with an almost scolding look on his face and tone to his voice as he chided Faith before he turned back to the associate and shrugged his shoulders.

"Yes sir…of course sir…if you'll just follow me," The associate replied with a very nervous and scared stiff smile on his face as he opened the door and quickly left the room.

"Smooth Wes…real smooth…," Faith mumbled with a relieved chuckle before she winked at her former watcher and strode out of the room, leaving Wesley to only let out a short laugh of his own before following his former charge.

*                      *                    *                        *                          *                        *

Angel and the others had only been back for a few hours but already they had recounted their story at least three times.  Angel had gotten so impatient that he had locked himself in the office and refused to come out, only allowing a shaky and nervous Cordelia entry after she had slipped upstairs and taken a shower to get cleaned up.  Xander and Anya had disappeared into one of the open rooms on the third floor and after one look at the happy pair Giles had made sure that they weren't bothered.  Robin and the new slayers had listened to every word of first Angel's story with interest before being reduced to listening to Andrew go on and on about how awesome and scary the Beast was all at the same time.  Willow had furrowed her brows in worry and concern at the news of Riley's condition and made a mental note to venture out to the hospital to check up on her former friend.  

"So this Riley Finn…he's part of a secret military group that fights the things that go bump in the night," Robin asked with an interested look on his face as he turned to Willow.

"Yeah…we met Riley and the rest of the Initiative…well some of them, back when we were all still in college, then he started dating Buffy and helping us out…," Willow started to say with an almost melancholy frown on her face before she brightened up a bit at the memories of how, early on, Riley had made Buffy.

"Before as I recall he let himself be drawn into the company of some very unsavory characters and left Buffy high and dry," Giles added with a rather stern and disapproving scowl on his face as he took his glasses off before rubbing his tired eyes.

"Uh…yeah…that to…," Willow mumbled with a sad pout on her face as she jutted out her bottom lip and stared at a blue pen on the counter.

"Which also allowed Spike to get close to her," Andrew piped up with a dreamy grin on his face before he tried to retreat inward upon himself at the scathing glares that he received after he stopped talking.

"Leave that bastard out of this…," Robin growled through a set jaw and gritted teeth as he tightly clenched one hand into a fist.

"Uh that wouldn't be the same bastard by any chance that sacrificed himself to save the world only to be brought back to save Buffy…," Andrew chimed in again, this time looking like he was getting away with something as he recounted Robin's words.

"Don't remind me…he should have stayed dead after what he did…," Robin grumbled with an unhappy scowl on his face before he stood up and walked around to the back of the counter.

"If that's what you think about his sacrifice then I shudder to imagine the devious methods of torture that you'd have planned for a couple of rogues like us," A healthier looking Wesley announced with a sneaky grin on his face as he walked in the door and slung an overly stuffed duffel bag over his shoulder and unbuttoned the middle few buttons of his ankle length duster.  

"Wesley…," Fred exclaimed with a relieved and happy smile on her face as she threw an arm around Gunn and gave him a tight squeeze.

"Don't forget about me Slim…," Faith interjected with a slightly sheepish smirk on her face as she stepped out from behind Wesley and did her best to reposition an overly stuffed duffel bag of her own over her shoulder.

"Faith…," A relieved but irritated Robin said loudly as he walked up to Faith, glaring evilly as he rudely brushed past the ex watcher before stopping just in front of Faith.  "What happened…," Robin asked with an impatient and very demanding frown on his face, once more taking on the guise of a principal.  

"Relax man, Wes and I just had some drinks and played it safe and caught a Wolfram and Hart limo back to his office where we slept off one hell of a hangover," Faith replied with an impatient and slightly insulted frown on her face before she finished with one of her trademark smiles that Wesley couldn't help but copy.

"What are you smiling at pal…and where'd all of the fancy clothes and accessories come from," Robin asked at first getting into Wesley's face before he returned to glare down at Faith with his arms crossed and his principal scowl firmly in place.

"Me…just at the lack of trust that you seem to have in Faith…and…," Wesley answered with a restrained smug grin on his face before he was interrupted by Angel and Cordelia's entrance back into the lobby.

"Wesley…Faith…good you're back, I've got some good news and some bad news…," Angel started to say with a slight appreciative nod of his head before Cordelia broke in.

"Wesley…," Cordelia shouted with a happy and relieved smile on her face before she rushed forward and gave Wesley a tight hug, one that he returned.  Everyone in the lobby stayed silent for a few seconds; however had anyone been looking at Faith they would have noticed the almost jealous scowl that quickly spread across her face before disappearing almost as quickly as it had arrived.

"Cordelia…I'm so glad that…but how…," Wesley managed to mumble out through the tears that the two old friends shed in their joy.

"It's a story for another time Wesley, what's important now is that we had another run in with the Beast and from it we've learned that apparently the Scourge are working as it's underlings, what do you know of them," Angel said with a gravely serious scowl on his face as he crossed his arms and leaned back a bit on his heels.

"Let's see…the Scourge…a race of demons that exhorts a xenophobic dogma in which any being that is not fully a demon is thought to be of a lesser quality, or impure, and that their methods are brutal in their extermination of those said beings," Wesley replied dryly with an ever increasing scowl of worry and concern on his face as Cordelia took a step back and politely nodded her head and smiled to Faith, an act which caught the formerly rogue slayer completely off guard.

"That'd be them all right…," Cordelia mumbled with a very unhappy and slightly queasy grimace on her face as she remembered the last time that she had been confronted by the Scourge.  That time it had taken the death of a close friend, her heart ached as she thought of what the price would be this time around.

END OF CHAPTER 14


	15. The Good News, The New Arrival

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 15-THE GOOD NEWS, THE NEW ARRIVAL**

She had wrestled with the news for almost a week.  She had taken more than three home pregnancy tests and had even gone to two doctors and both had come back with the same conclusion, Buffy, the chosen one, the twice dead slayer was pregnant.  She hadn't told anyone the good news, but then after some thought she decided that the only two people in the world that would understand her situation were Spike and Molly.  After a few short weeks of trouble spots Buffy and Molly had settled into almost the same familiar routine that Buffy had gone through with Dawn.  Spike was usually asleep until at least ten, mostly because many of his money making jobs and opportunities took place late at night.  Buffy would rise first, but only after hitting the snooze bar a few times.  By the time that Buffy found out that she was pregnant she and Spike had gone through almost two dozen alarm clocks, most victim of one or the other not wanting to get up and using a little bit to much force to hit the snooze bar.  

Buffy's first task in the morning would be trying to get Molly up, a feat in and of itself notwithstanding the fact that Molly was every bit as strong as Buffy, a fact that at times Buffy would forget.  More than once Buffy had found herself on the floor after Molly had refused to wake up and tried to push her away.  Finally Buffy had resorted to simply grabbing Molly by one leg or arm; whichever she could get a hold of and just pulling Molly straight out of her bed and shoving her into the bathroom.  If Spike was up each would take a leg and pull.  Spike had to adjust his sleeping habits as he could no longer sleep in the nude with Molly in the apartment, at least not when their bedroom door was unlocked.  It was a Friday night, where Buffy and Spike had taken Molly out to see a movie with one of her friends, before Buffy was finally able to summon up the strength to let Spike in on the secret.  She had to wait however until they were getting ready for bed to do it because after the movie Spike had put Molly through a quick workout session.  Ever since they had become stuck in the past Spike and Buffy had begun teaching Molly everything that they knew about fighting, taking her on patrol with them every night that they went out.

"Uh Spike…," Buffy asked softly, her voice and hands trembling slightly as she shut and locked the door before letting her slip drift down to the floor at her feet. 

"Yeah pet," Spike replied with a tired yawn as he pulled his jeans off and threw them into a nearby chair, casting an appraising eye across the bed at his naked slayer.

"You know when we talked last week…after watching that movie, you know that whole bit about what we'd do if I…," Buffy started to say with a nervous frown on her face before her resolve left her and she sat down on her side of the bed.

"Yeah…but what does that have to…bloody hell," Spike mumbled back his reply at first with a confused and somewhat worried look on his face before he realized what Buffy was trying to say.

"N…no, no bloody and no hell…but," Buffy stammered back with an angry and now scared look on her face as she turned back to face Spike.

"So…you're saying that there's…I mean that you're…I mean," Spike said back softly while trying to keep a nonchalant smile on his face before Buffy looked up at him, biting her bottom lip and trying to hold back the tears that were just begging to be let out.  Rather than let her wonder at his continuing Buffy slowly nodded her head before collapsing onto the bed and letting the tears flow.  Before she knew it Spike had picked back up into a seated position and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her cheek against his chest as her hair soon became damp with his own joyous tears.  "I love you…," Spike whispered softly down to Buffy before he kissed the top of her head.  

"I love you to," Buffy whispered back through the sobs that she was desperately trying to hold back.

"This kid's going to be spoiled rotten you know," Spike added with one of his best sneaky grins on his face as he lifted Buffy's head up by her chin to look him in the eye.

"So…you're happy…," Buffy questioned with an easily seen look of hope on her face as she was almost begging Spike with her eyes to be happy and calm her nerves.

"Of course luv…of course," Spike replied with an overjoyed smile on his face before Buffy pulled him down into a kiss, an act followed closely by the two falling back into the bed and Spike pulling the sheets up over them with his free hand.  

*                       *                           *                                    *                        *                    *

After Angel's announcement of the Scourge's involvement with the Beast he had ushered Cordelia up to one of the empty rooms to get cleaned up.  Giles had wanted to stay and plan but he had grabbed Andrew by the collar and ordered the former villain and the new slayers in the lobby to the basement to continue their training.  Gunn and Fred had accompanied Giles and the other potentials downstairs in the hope to work off some of their anxieties.  Rhona and Vi had started to complain but a stern look from Giles cast their way had gotten them all moving.  Xander and Anya had disappeared almost as soon as Anya had finished hugging everyone.  Willow and Kennedy had begun their search through the hotel to try to find something to eat.  Wesley had collected all of the books that he knew of that had references to the Scourge and laid them on the small table in the lobby before digging into the first one, with a helpful looking Dawn at his side.  Robin had dragged Faith back up to what the new slayers had labeled as their room before shouts were heard and Faith had come storming back down the stairs, trying her best to control her temper.

"Something wrong Faith," Wesley asked, the concern evident in his voice, as he lifted his gaze from the book that he was trying to scan through and focused it directly on Faith, who had taken off her coat and was in the process of pushing her sleeves up.

"Wrong…no Wes…nothing's wrong…," Faith replied with a grumpy scowl on her face before she plopped down into a chair on the opposite side of the table from Wesley.  Almost immediately Faith picked up one of Wesley's books and started to flip through it, completely ignorant of the fact that Wesley's gaze had lingered on her.

"If it was something I said then I apologize," Wesley said with a sincere color to his voice as he laid the book down that he had been holding and now fully fixed his gaze on Faith.

"No…it's not that, he's just being an ass," Faith replied quickly with an uncaring tone to her voice before she quickly glanced up and then shot her gaze back down to the book in her hands.  Dawn watched the exchange between the two and stayed silent for several seconds before hazarding to speak up.

"About what…you said he was being an ass…I was just wondering about what," Dawn asked with a nervous flinch at first before she became bolder and looked straight at Faith as she continued.

"Dawn…," Wesley said with an exasperated and nervous sigh as he couldn't summon up the courage to look over at Faith.

"No Wesley, Dawn here wants to know why Robin's being an ass…fine, she's a big girl, she can handle it…," Faith exclaimed with a very driven scowl on her face as she glared over at Wesley for a second before turning to Dawn after seeing that he wasn't looking at her.

"Shit…meet fan," Wesley thought with a nervous and uncertain scowl on his face as he tensed up, ready to react to whatever happened.

"He's being an ass because I didn't call him last night and tell him where I was," Faith said in her most truthful voice, thoroughly scared that Dawn would see through the flimsy excuse and deduct the real reason for Robin's frustration.  During the few seconds that she had spent up in their room he had asked almost point blank if something was going on between her and Wesley, she had denied it but could tell that he didn't believe her.  Her own uncertain feelings on the subject had boiled up inside of her until she had blown her top and shouted out a tirade and stormed down the stairs.

"Oh…and here I thought it was because he thought that there was something going on between the two of you…silly me," Dawn said with an almost amused smirk on her face before she dropped her head back down into her book to keep her quickly growing grin from showing.  Wesley and Faith sat as still as stone for several seconds, seemingly waiting for the sky to fall before casting each other a nervous look.  

"Yeah, silly you," Faith mumbled back with a short and nervous laugh before she turned to Wesley.  "You find anything yet Wes," Faith asked in a very pointed matter as it was evident that she was desperately trying to change the subject.

"Uh…not yet, there are few references to the Scourge in any of my books, and there'll all pretty vague, unfortunately the council was never able to get very good intelligence on the Scourge," Wesley replied with a slightly taken aback frown on his face as he almost dropped his book because of his nerves.

"Hmpf…probably to scared to get near these guys," Faith snorted with a sarcastic scowl on her face as she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms, picking a hair off of her sleeve as she did so.

"No…actually every agent that the council contracted out to try to get information on the Scourge ended up in a body bag, ten good men died trying to collect information," Wesley started to say with a nervous sigh before he finished with a very sad frown on his face.

"How do you know all of this, if I tried my head would explode," Dawn asked with a frustrated moan as she dropped her head into her hands and slumped her shoulders.

"Simple Dawnie, all those nights of being dateless left ole Wesley here plenty of time to memorize all kinds of useless information, he could probably even tell you the names of those ten men…," Faith added with a joking smirk on her face, one that instantly disappeared when she saw the sad look in Wesley's eyes.  

"Actually you're right Faith, I could tell you all of their names…you might be surprised to learn that for all of their formality the watchers council did tend to socialize a great deal, with the right people of course, every year there were dinner parties and soirees on special occasions, it didn't take long before you knew every member of the council and his or her family," Wesley replied with a sullen frown on his face before he put the book that he had been holding down on the table and rubbed his tired eyes.

"So…did you know any of those guys, the ten that they sent off to collect the information," Dawn asked with a timid frown on her face as she locked her knees together and brushed some dirt off of her shoes.

"I did…two of them, one was almost like an uncle to me when I was a boy, and the other probably would have become your watcher instead of me Faith, had he lived that is, he was my cousin…we used to spend hours together dreaming about what we'd do if we ever became a watcher," Wesley answered with a nervous shrug of his shoulders as lowered his head down into his hands and tried to keep from remembering the horrors that he had seen as a child being reared to be a watcher.  Under the watchers council stiff exterior and careful conduction of actions there was a seedy underbelly, of sorts that is.  From an early age those deemed to have a possibility of being a watcher were at times forced to view different demons being killed as part of their training.  Sometimes the demon would be killed without the council's soldiers losing a man, other times the toll was high.  All the viewing of those killings was to show the young boys the proper way to kill certain demons and to shock home just how serious their business was.

"That must have sucked…," Dawn mumbled with a bummed out frown on her face as she jutted out her bottom lip and looked sadly at Wesley, who had taken off his glasses and was running a hand through his hair.

"Yes…it did…now if you'll excuse me I…," Wesley started to say with a nervous and hesitant frown on his face before he stood up and walked out of the lobby and into Angel's office, pushing the door shut behind him.  With a tear rolling down her cheek Dawn looked to Faith before the former rogue slayer went into action.

"Hey…Wes…," Faith called out with a worried frown on her face as much as she hated to admit it but she could feel a swell of tears rising up before she pushed the office door back open and went inside.  Luckily, at least to Dawn, the door this time didn't go all of the way closed and so Dawn sat, riveted on the edge of her seat, and watched from a distance the interaction between Faith and Wesley.  She was to far away and the two were speaking to softly for her to hear but Dawn got the impression by the body language that Faith was trying her best to cheer Wesley up as the former watcher was trying to keep a stiff upper lip.  She leaned over the back of the chair just enough to see Faith slip a supporting arm around Wesley's waist and give her former watcher a tight hug before her spying was interrupted.

"Whatcha looking at Dawn…," Andrew asked softly through a mouthful of food as he walked up behind her and then tried his best to swallow the food in his mouth.

"Look…," Dawn mumbled back softly with a slightly lovey dovey smile on her face as she watched Faith lay her head on Wesley's shoulder and bring up the hand that she had slipped around Wesley's waist and start to slowly rub circles on his back.

"I thought you were supposed to be researching," Robin asked with a gruff tone to his voice as he descended the stairs, shocking a misty eyed Dawn and Andrew out of their momentary stupor.

*                   *                             *                               *                       *                      *

It had taken almost three weeks after Buffy had told him that she was pregnant that Spike was finally able to truly accept it.  It hadn't been that he didn't believe her but the entire concept of one day actually becoming a father and having to raise a child, especially with the way that his life had gone, had been a little to much for him at first.  But one day he had let his feet do the walking and ended up in a store that specialized in baby supplies.  He had spent the next three hours slowly searching the halls, his brows furrowing more and more as he began to become accustomed to how much would truly go into having and raising a child with Buffy.  

Of course from the onset Molly had been ecstatic about the news, going so far as to call babysitter rights for life shortly after hearing the news.  Her enthusiasm had to be tempered though as she could not tell anyone at school about the good news because of the fact that she would be leaving in a couple of short years and most likely never see any of her classmates ever again.  As the months went on Spike had to pull out all the stops to keep Buffy and Molly from buying them out of house and home with everything that they'd need for the baby.  Over the course of her pregnancy Buffy had obsessed many times about exactly what world her child would be born into and if she would be able to lead a normal life, unlike the one that Buffy had experienced.  Spike had tried his best to set her mind at ease but up until the day of the birth Buffy was constantly worried about the future.  In that time rumors and other information had begun to trickle in about the sorceress Noxon's location.

It was a Friday morning when Buffy shook Spike awake at three in the morning and informed him that her water had broken.  Spike had initially still been to asleep to realize what she was saying but Buffy had then squeezed his arm tightly and repeated her announcement.  That had been enough and so the frantic dash to the hospital had begun.  Rather than take the time to actually unlock and open the door Spike had been in such a big hurry that he had simply pulled a pair of old sweatpants on and barreled through the door before yelling at Molly to get up.  It wouldn't be until almost nine hours later that Joyce Ann Wilmington was born.  Spike had chosen the name Wilmington rather than Windholm because Buffy had pointed out to him one day that even back these seven years like they were there still existed a Molly Windholm somewhere in England, and it would raise suspicion if a young woman with the same exact name were to turn up going to high school in Texas.  

*                    *                         *                              *                      *                          *

After shocking Dawn and Andrew out of their momentary stupor Robin was about to follow their line of sight and storm into the office when Willow and Kennedy walked into the lobby through the kitchen.  Their entrance was closely followed by a cleaner and happier looking Cordelia as she sauntered down the stairs with Angel close behind.  The two and a half century old vampire looked very tired and frustrated but tried his best to not let it affect his actions.  He hoped that now that everyone was back together things would be getting better; he was not however prepared for what would happen next.

"Uh Angel…there's something that we need to talk about…," Willow said with a nervous and slightly fearful look on her face as she approached Angel, who almost collapsed down onto the space on the couch that Wesley had vacated before he responded.

"Okay…shoot, what's on your mind," Angel replied with a tired shrug of his shoulders as he tried to rub the stiffness out of the back of his neck.  

"Well remember when you said that we should let Buffy sleep…well actually see…there's a problem with that…she's not here," Willow stammered out slowly, almost as if she expected Angel to jump out of his seat and strangle her at a moments notice.

"Not here…what do you mean, where is she," Angel asked with a growing look of anger and frustration on his face as he leaned forward and closed one of the books that Wesley had been looking through.

"The question isn't where she is Angel…it's when," Kennedy said with a serious frown on her face as she laid a supportive hand on Willow's shoulder.  

"When…wait did I miss something…," Angel asked, the look of confusion on his face growing steadily with each passing second as he looked around the lobby.

"Yes…sometime while we were racing to Wolfram and Hart to make sure that no one was being massacred a portal opened up and sucked Buffy into it, the portal apparently served as a sort of time warp, sending Buffy back in time, how far and where we don't know, I can't tell you anything more until I get a team over here to study the area," Wesley said with a very worried look on his face as he slowly walked out of the office, with an equally nervous Faith close by.  Faith was so close in fact that only Angel was able to notice Faith's hand resting in the middle of Wesley's back.

"This just keeps getting better and better, we take one step forward and then fifty thousand steps back," Angel moaned with a frustrated and defeated slump of his shoulders as he dropped his head into his hands.  

"Well look on the bright side, at least we know where she is…," Andrew piped up with a more than chipper smile on his face before the former villain seemingly shrank out of sight.

END OF CHAPTER 15


	16. Mug Problems And A Big Help

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 16-MUG PROBLEMS AND A BIG HELP**

To say that Joyce's arrival had barely changed Spike and Buffy's way of life would most likely have been the understatement of the millennia.  The couple had expected the loss of sleep but since the pair both had the added slayer strength on their side the little spats that normally spring up between two people in their position at times would end up with the apartment, or at least part of it, completely trashed.  Molly had finally resorted to spending the night with friends more and more, mostly just so that she could actually get a full nights sleep.  Now that being said the happier times of being new and unexpected parents had come to, as both Molly and Buffy had made sure to buy enough film to capture everything about Joyce's life.  Spike had stopped going out at night as much and after some forceful haggling he and Buffy had worked out a plan of how to take care of Joyce.  Many a day Spike would wake up after a long night to find Buffy asleep in the rocking chair that he had picked out for her with a softly snoring Joyce in her arms.  Early one of those mornings Spike was about to leave the room after seeing that sight when Buffy's soft voice interrupted him.  

"Spike," Buffy whispered softly through a tired yawn as she blinked her eyes a bit to clear up her vision.

"Yes pet," Spike whispered back with the beginnings of a smile creeping up on the edges of his mouth as he stepped back into the room that they had designated at the nursery.  The room wasn't very big, only having enough room for the essentials as the changing table, the baby bed, and enough room for a rocking chair by the window.  

"Here…take Joyce," Buffy whispered back softly with a tired yawn as she sat up in the rocking chair and handed Joyce to Spike.

"Of course," Spike mumbled back softly with a tired yawn of his own as he took his little angel in his arms and walked over to the baby bed.  Before laying her in the bed Spike leaned down and kissed his daughter softly on her forehead.  Slowly and quietly Spike helped Buffy to stand up before the two left the room.  They entered the kitchen to find Molly searching through one of the cupboards with a frustrated scowl on her face.

"Where is it…," Molly grumbled with an angry frown on her face as she closed one cupboard and turned a bit before opening the next one.

"What are you doing," Buffy asked with a confused frown on her face as she gathered her bathrobe tighter around her before tying it tight.

"I'm looking for my bloody cup…the one I always drink tea out of, I can't find it," Molly replied with an angry scowl on her face as she barely gave Spike and Buffy a glance before returning to her search through the cupboards.  When the trio had found themselves stranded in Sunnydale of the past the young British brunette had been coy about her age.  But after a few days she had admitted that she was only a few months from her sixteenth birthday.  On that most special of days Spike and Buffy had thrown her a surprise sweet sixteenth birthday party, inviting all of her friends from school and otherwise along with hiring a local band for the occasion.  They had been lucky enough to be able to use a local ballroom that had just undergone extensive renovation.  Spike had secured it through his act of killing a rather nasty demon that had tried to kill the ballroom's owner.  Buffy and Spike had mostly stayed in the background and served as chaperones for the night, which in the end turned out better than anyone had expected, serving as a night full of pictures that Molly would remember as one of the happiest night of her life.  Ever since that night Molly had begun begging Buffy to take her driving every chance that she got.  Buffy had been about ready to snap when Spike had politely agreed to help teach Molly how to drive.  Buffy found out later that during many of those outings between the two Spike would have Molly drive past a house or warehouse, once they got over the short lived dilemma of which side of the road to drive on, anywhere that Spike wanted to stake out later.  But apparently the former vampire had done something right during those sessions and by the time Joyce was born Molly had her own driver's license.  Spike hadn't told Buffy yet but the night before Joyce was born he had undone a curse for the owner of a local car dealership and that his payment was that he could bring Molly down and let the new driver pick out any car on the lot that wasn't to expensive.  When this fact was brought up Buffy had initially been against it but she had finally relented when Molly had found an after school job and was able to pay for her own gas and things like that.

"Have you looked in the sink yet Bit," Spike asked with a tired smile on his face as he leaned up against the counter, using the pet name that he had started using for Dawn but had then included Molly.

"Oi…of course Spike, I'm not a bloody wanker," Molly growled back with an angry scowl on her face as she closed the door to the cupboard that she had been searching through and stood up with her arms crossed.

"Okay, settle down you two, now Molly I moved your mug along with Spike and mine to the mug rack on the counter remember, I told you about it last week," Buffy said with an almost motherly tone to her voice as she stepped in between Spike and Molly.

"Oh yeah…I remember now…sorry," Molly mumbled back softly with an ever growing look of embarrassment on her face before she bowed her head and grabbed her mug off of the rack.

*                   *                      *                                 *                        *                       *

"So what do we do now," Dawn asked with a concerned frown on her face as she first looked to Wesley and then to Angel.

"Well I'll call over to Wolfram and Hart and…," Wesley started to say with a slightly uncomfortable look on his face before Angel looked up with a very stern look on his face and interrupted.

"Now…we find Buffy and get her back before the Scourge shows up," Angel declared with a very serious frown on his face before he walked past Wesley into the office.

"Should we really be that scared about these Scourge guys, I mean with all of the potentials now slayers and the fact that they only go after those that are half demons…shouldn't we all be safe," Robin asked with a slightly confused frown on his face as his gaze settled firmly on how close Faith and Wesley were standing.

"Speak for yourself Denzel…I'm half demon…then of course there's Mr. Broodypants in there, we're probably number's one and two on their hit list," Cordelia replied with a worried and sarcastic frown on her face as she sat down next to Angel.

"And so that is why we must be constantly on guard, anything could happen," Giles added with a very serious frown on his face as he led a weary Gunn and Fred back into the lobby.

"Hey, we beat those bringers and those ubervamps…we can take these Scourge guys," Rhona piped up with an easily seen air of confidence on her face as she stepped out of the small herd of new slayers that had just come up out of the basement.

"You're no match for the Scourge…not yet, I'm the only one that can take them on with any chance of success, at least with Buffy gone…," Angel stated with a very certain scowl on his face as he glanced over at Rhona, who didn't look to happy at being disagreed with but didn't say anything.

"You're forgetting someone Angel, you're not the only one that can fight the Scourge, you forgot about Faith, and I'm not up to your caliber as a fighter I can take care of myself," Wesley interjected with a serious frown on his face as he looked first down at Faith, who cast him an appreciative look, before turning his gaze to Angel.  Angel thought about Wesley's words for a few seconds as the lobby stood silent.

"You're right, Gunn I want you and Fred to take everyone over to Wolfram and Hart, put them in all of the board rooms if you have to, and make sure that they're well protected," Angel commanded with a very serious tone of voice as he stood up and looked around the room.

"Wait a minute…I can fight," Robin exclaimed with a defiant scowl on his face as he started to take a step towards Angel.

"Of course you can Robin, but you're in no shape to fight, at least not right now, besides I'm going to need help in coordinating things over at Wolfram and Hart," Giles said with a nervous shrug of his shoulders as he loudly cleared his throat.  Robin looked about ready to continue his push to be included in the fighting but stopped and walked past Angel and entered the office, but not before saying his peace.

"Fine…I'll go, but tell me why Pryce gets to stay," Robin whispered softly as he neared Angel, whose countenance went stone cold.  Angel waited until Robin was in the office before walking to the doorway and replying in a low enough voice so that only the former principal could hear.

"Because he's my best friend and I trust him…he can handle himself in a fight, and I know that he'd die to protect Cordy and Faith," Angel said softly to Robin before standing back up and shutting the office door behind him.

"That was tense…," Kennedy said with a nervous smile on her face before a cold glance from Angel silenced the new slayer.

"Aren't you sure that I shouldn't stay behind Angel…I mean with my magic I could help," Willow asked with a nervous and slightly scared look on her face as she looked to Angel.

"Thanks for the offer Willow, but the only ones staying here will be me, Cordelia, Wesley, and Faith," Angel replied with a serious but calm frown on his face before he walked over to Gunn.  "If Lilah gives you any shit just tell her to come talk to me, I don't have time for her jealousies," Angel added with a frustrated frown on his face before Gunn nodded his head.

"Right…so what are you guys going to do in the meantime while the rest of us are roughing it over at Wolfram and Hart…checkers…," Gunn asked with a serious frown on his face before trying his best to lighten the mood a bit.

"Getting ready…if they want a fight then by hell we're going to give them one that they won't ever forget, I'm not going to lose another friend to those bastards," Angel answered with a barely restrained look of anger on his face before he walked past a very nervous Fred and ducked around the counter, looking for anything that could be used as a weapon.

"I'll call over to Wolfram and Hart and get a team over her to study the portal Angel, I'll make sure to have them bring along one of the…special…security details, that should at least buy us some time while we try to figure out how to get Buffy back," Wesley chimed in with a serious frown on his face as he began to dig his cell phone out of his pocket.

"But what about Spike…and Molly," Dawn asked with a slightly nervous and confused frown on her face as she turned in her seat and looked over towards Angel.

"They're probably wherever…I mean whenever Buffy is Dawn," Andrew said with an oddly confident smile on his face as he laid a comforting hand on Dawn's shoulder.  Rather than jerk away Dawn didn't seem to mind the gesture.

"How do you figure," Giles asked with a confused frown on his face as he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and began to clean his glasses.

"I don't know much about those two…but what I do know is that they have the odd habit of always running into each other, no matter what's going on," Andrew replied with a meager smile and shrug of his shoulders before he looked down at Dawn, who gave him a meek smile back.

"Andrew's right…wherever Buffy is Spike and Molly are probably there also…as odd as that is…hey maybe we can get all three of them back at the same time ya know…," Willow added with an optimistic smile on her face as her outlook looked to be brightening up.

"Buffy is our main goal…Spike and Molly are secondary," Angel mumbled with a frustrated and slightly angry scowl on his face as he stood up from behind the counter, mace in hand.

*                        *                          *                             *                          *                       *

As Joyce's first birthday neared the information regarding the whereabouts of Noxon had begun to almost flood in.  That change had been greatly helped by the sudden appearance of Whistler.  Spike and Buffy had bumped into the scales evening demon while utilizing one of their free nights together letting Molly stay at home with Joyce.  In effect the night had become one more of celebration for the two rather than as a relief.  Against her initial concerns Buffy had caved in and agreed to go out with that night with Spike.  The two had been in the middle of dinner when Buffy had looked down at her dessert and noticed the small box with roses on it.  She had looked up at Spike with a confused look on her face only to see him staring back at her with an almost paralyzed with fear frown on his face, as if he expected her to stake him right then and there.  With a trembling lower lip and faltering tone of voice he tried to explain but Buffy didn't fully understand what was going on until she opened the small rose covered box and instantly her breath was taken away.  Inside the small box lay a small ring that consisted of a band of silver and one of gold intricately interwoven together with a small diamond surrounded by small emeralds and aquamarines.  

Her eyes almost instantly filled with tears as she tried to force out the only question that her mind could think of at the moment.  Spike had tried his best to downplay how much time and work he had put in trying to get the ring just right and how his hopes wouldn't be too badly hurt if she refused.  But in the end he had stood up and picked up the box before getting down on one knee beside her.  She had almost lost it when Spike, formerly known as William the Bloody and scourge of Europe, turned his gaze upward towards her, eyes filled with tears.  She had only let him get out the beginnings of the question before she had suddenly been able to find her voice and nod her head before verbally uttering the right words.    "Yes Spike…I will marry you."

With a nervous smile on his face and an obligatory sniffle Spike had slowly taken the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger.  As he started to stand up she pulled him close into the most blissful of kisses.  When they had broken the kiss they were surprised to see their waiter standing near the table with a bottle of the houses best wine and a string quartet behind him.  Buffy had tried her best to decline the generous offer but Spike had softly placed a finger on her lips and asked the string quartet if they knew a number that Buffy had never heard of.  As the evident leader of the quartet had smiled and nodded his head Spike had pulled Buffy to her feet and soon the two were dancing slowly, almost to their own rhythm, out under the stars with a string quartet beautifully setting the mood.  By the time that they had left the restaurant it was later than they had expected and were hurrying towards Spike's car to get back to Molly and Joyce when Buffy had bumped into Whistler.  Spike had instantly leapt to Buffy's defense and probably would have decked Whistler had Buffy not spoken up.

"No Spike wait…Whistler…," Buffy shouted with a slight tone of panic to her face as she grabbed Spike's arm and pulled him back, leaving a thoroughly shocked and confused Whistler to stare back at the couple.

"Buffy…Spike…what are you…you shouldn't…you're not supposed to…," Whistler mumbled out with a thoroughly confused look on his face as he repositioned his hat and shuffled his feet.

"You know this wanker…," Spike whispered his question softly to Buffy under his breath as he kept a watchful eye on Whistler.

"We've met…," Buffy replied with a nervous frown on her face as Spike seemed to relax and adopt more of a staying in between Buffy and Whistler stance than a threatening one.

"Yeah…but that's not supposed to happen for a few more weeks…after you and Angel make with the smoochies and he becomes a creep again, complete with killing that pretty teacher…," Whistler said with a deep in thought frown on his face as he seemed to be mentally checking over how he knew things were supposed to go.

"The teacher…Peaches killed her years ago, right before he waited outside of your window to see your and Red's reaction…he went on and on about how beautiful your pain was…bloody wanker," Spike said with an unhappy scowl on his face as if he didn't like to remember the memory but then as he did certain parts prompted him to become angry.

"What…he was there…," Buffy asked, a completely aghast look on her face, as she startled to tremble a bit, causing Spike to deftly slip his coat off and put it around her slender shoulders, an act that he had done hundreds of times for Dru.

"Yeah…after he left the teacher in Rupert's bed he waited outside of your dining room window and watched the whole thing, had a pretty good laugh about that…he and Dru anyway…I just got angry and told him that we were supposed to kill you…not leave gag gifts in her friends beds…but Angel said that he had it all under control…of course that was right before Giles firebombed the place," Spike replied with a nervous frown on his face as he recounted the events of the past, making sure to keep an arm around Buffy as her spirits seemed to sink further and further with each word.

"Yep, that's how it's supposed to go down…but how did you…ah now I see…got sucked into one of those lightning filled time warps…so how long have you two been here…," Whistler agreed with still a slightly confused frown on his face before a light seemed to turn on in his head and he slowly started to nod his head.

"A little over a year…but it's more than just us…a potential slayer turned full fledged slayer named Molly and our daughter Joyce," Buffy answered with a nervous frown on her face as she swallowed hard and desperately clung to Spike.

"Well I can't help you get back…that's not my job, you'll have to go to Noxon for that, she should be around her somewhere…but she probably won't even see you unless you have the triumvirate of the legendary weapons, that and an innocent to serve as your herald…that teacher would have worked, except she's slated to die…," Whistler added with a apologetic frown on his face as he sheepishly started to look around to make sure that no one was listening to their conversation.

"Just our bloody luck…what do we do now," Spike exclaimed with a frustrated scowl on his face as had Buffy not been there he would have throttled the odd immortal demon.

"Well I could help you with the getting the innocent part…I could keep her soul in limbo until after the funeral…then resurrect her, but all of that good would have to be countered by something very bad…bad with a capital B…," Whistler said with a nervous shrug of his shoulders as he dropped his head a bit and tried his best to not look Buffy or Spike in the eye.

"But what about those weapons…I'm guessing that the scythe is one of those weapons, but it's in the future…how…," Buffy asked with an overwhelmed frown on her face as she leaned her head lightly on Spike's shoulder.

"Then all you have to do is get the other two legendary weapons and get the nice teacher on your side and you'll be all set, but you'll have to get the two weapons on your own, I can't help you there, all I can say is that you'd better get them and be in Sunnydale when I resurrect that teacher or else everything's going to go to hell…literally," Whistler said with a very nervous and scared wince on his face as he looked back and forth between Spike and Buffy.

"Come on…you have to give us more than that…," Spike growled with a defiant sneer on his face as Whistler was beginning to try his patience.

"Okay…fine…but don't tell anyone that you heard this from me…one weapon is in Cleveland…find a demon name Grabulac and he'll tell you how to obtain the second weapon, as for the other one well it's in sunny Hawaii…kind of the perfect place to protect it from everything and everyone except for a slayer huh…anyway find Hulauu and she'll point you in the right direction, but you must hurry," Whistler added with a very serious look on his face as he took his hat off and tried his best scared smile.

"Cleveland…Hawaii…how are we supposed to get there…the airfare alone…Whistler…," Buffy started to complain with a scared frown on her face before she looked up and suddenly found the annoying and immortal demon no longer there.

"Bloody hell…," Spike growled with an angry scowl on his face before a light rain began to fall.

END OF CHAPTER 16


	17. There's A First Time For Everything

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**Author's Note:  I've put what happens in this chapter off for 16 chapters but it had to happen sometime so…hope it works out.**

**CHAPTER 17-THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING**

It felt odd to him, being back in the Sunnydale of the past, knowing what it would mean if someone were to see him and remember him. The danger that any slipup could cause to the events yet to take place was impossible to predict, let alone understand or hope to control.  Buffy, Joyce, and Molly were back home in Texas waiting for him to return with good news and Miss Calendar, charging all of the tickets and everything that he would need on credit cards that they had under one of their fake names, only to be used for extreme emergencies.  Buffy had fought back the tears as she said her I'll see you later to him, not wanting to say goodbye because she had been so positive that he'd return.  Molly had at first begged to come with him to first Cleveland, then Hawaii, and finally back to Sunnydale to pick up the teacher, but both Spike and Buffy had talked her out of it.  And so when he had left home to search for the weapons four weeks prior the new slayer had at first tried to be brave but as he turned to leave she had burst into tears and nearly hugged the life out of him.

The legendary weapon in Cleveland had been easy enough to find, easy if you count having to wade through rave after rave in pursuit of a rather unscrupulous demon.  After he had finally gotten hold of Grabulac the cowardly demon had told him of the location of the first of the legendary weapons.  Spike had been about to leave then when he had been attacked by a pair of vampires.  The attackers were soon turned to piles of dust and before he left Spike had given Grabulac a piece of his mind, leaving the demon's head ten feet from the rest of him.  The weapon had been placed in a secure government lockdown, accessible only by people with the right security clearance as scientists tried to determine what the weapon was.  With memories of himself and Buffy and the Scoobies sneaking into the Initiative in the back of his mind, and an almost daydream memory of Buffy in a lab coat and how beautiful she had looked, he had taken the place of one of the guards and gained entry into the compound.  The instant he had seen the weapon everything had gone haywire, a seemingly limitless electric charge rocketed through all of the compound's systems, frying everything and erasing all of the data that had been collected.

Not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth Spike had shattered the glass case surrounding the weapon before deftly using it to get himself back out of the compound.  The power had been shut off and so he had been forced to rely on his senses to keep him away from guard patrols on his way out.  Luckily for him the weapon had been a sword, one that looked like it had been made by the one that had made the scythe.  Spike had even thought to himself how the sword looked a little like a pirate sword, although he couldn't remember many pirate swords made of whatever material it was exactly that the scythe and this sword were made out of.  The instant that he had touched the sword he could have sworn that he had heard a voice thanking him for freeing the weapon and that he must hurry in his efforts to find the second one.

The trek through Hawaii had been an entirely different matter however.  He had found Hulauu easily enough but the old woman had told him a riddle that it took almost a full week to figure out.  And he had only figured out the riddle when he had overheard a conversation between two suspicious looking men in a back alley.  Through solving the riddle Spike had determined that the second legendary weapon was in a magically protected cave in the middle of an active lava field.  Nary less than fifteen demons had sprung up in front of him as he tried to even get to the cave's entrance.  But with thoughts of what would happen to Buffy and Joyce if her were to fail in the back of his mind Spike had pressed on and managed to get inside the cave.  He had traveled for what felt like hours before he had come across an old man sitting near a fire.  He had wondered how the old man could possibly have survived in that predicament but urgency had pushed him forward.

That old man had talked his ear off and riddled him with what felt like a million questions before finally shutting up and seeming to approve of the answers that he had received.  Spike had been hesitant to mention Whistler's name but once during the conversation it had slipped out.  The old man had only smiled at that mistake and kept going, but Spike could tell that the tone of the talk changed after that moment.  At the end Spike had started to leave when the old man had asked him why he was leaving without getting what it was that he had come for in the first place.  With a sarcastic and witty comment back Spike had retrieved the second weapon before having to run faster than he though that he ever could to outrun the collapsing cave and then the fast moving lava that threatened to engulf him.  After he had gotten back to his hotel he had phoned Buffy, an act which he did at least twice a day, and given her the good news.

He had arrived in Sunnydale only hours before Jenny Calendar had bought the Orb of Thessala that she was going to use to restore Angel's soul.  Since he had arrived early he had taken to patrolling one of Sunnydale's many cemeteries looking for something to kill.  The two legendary weapons were safe and sound in the last place that anyone would ever look for them, hidden inside the crypt that Spike would one day take over as his own.  He had thought about stashing the weapons in the school but he had decided against that idea as he bet that some stupid student would find them.  He hadn't come across any vampires or demons yet and the sunrise wasn't to far away, prompting him to take a look around the town.  He thought about stopping by the Bronze but he guessed that Buffy or one of the others would be there and he didn't want to run into any of them.  Instead he swung through the Sunnydale mall and took in a movie.

*                         *                           *                               *                           *                    *

"Hey Wes…who are those guys," Faith asked with a jumpy frown on her face as she stepped out onto one of the Hyperion's many balconies and looked down at the courtyard below.  The courtyard that had been empty only half an hour earlier was now filled if not overflowing with well armed soldiers.

"A Wolfram and Hart special ops team, I asked the tech team that's looking into Buffy's disappearance to make sure to bring them along…remember," Wesley replied with a nervous frown on his face as he scratched his chin.

"Oh yeah…hey you okay," Faith asked with an immature laugh before the look on her face changed to one of concern and worry as she turned around and leaned back up against the railing so that she could face Wesley.

"You know me Faith…I haven't been okay in a good long while…," Wesley said with a very gruff and somber tone of voice as he leaned forward and put his hands on the railing, with his axe propped up nearby.

"Yeah, I know…me either…but still Wes…I mean…God…this is all just going to hell faster than I think that I can handle," Faith started to say with a make believe shrug of confidence before she slouched and looked up at Wesley with a worried look in her eyes.

"You can handle anything Faith, you're a slayer, it's what you do…but I do agree that this is all happening to quickly, as if hastened by some spell or conjuring," Wesley replied with an equally worried look in his eyes even though the look on his face was that of total confidence.

"Ooh…bringing out the big words aren't we…," Faith mumbled softly with a gentle smile on her face as she leaned in closer to Wesley and gently traced the line of the scar on Wesley's neck with her finger.

"The bigger, the better," Wesley said with a cheesy smile on his face as he turned to look at Faith before a part of him realized just how close the two were at that moment.  But instead of pulling away and keeping his wall of indifference up he stayed where he was.

"You know you don't have to do that to impress me," Faith said almost in a whisper with a very nervous smile on her face as she slowly began to inch closer to Wesley.

"Yeah I know…but it's…," Wesley started to say with a very unsure smile on his face, as he uncontrollably began to slowly lean towards Faith, before she interrupted him by softly pressing her lips against his in what he at first thought was an accident.  But then because he didn't make a move to pull back she pressed on, kissing him again.  Even though a million thoughts kept spiraling through his mind about how what he was doing was wrong for the life of him Wesley didn't want to be doing anything else.

"Uh…sorry…," Faith mumbled softly with an embarrassed look on her face as she quickly pulled away and looked down at the courtyard.

"Why…I'm not," Wesley said with an almost to nervous to move look on his face before Faith slowly turned her head back towards him with a scared stiff look in her eyes.  Before Faith could turn her attention back to the courtyard below Wesley reached out and cupped her face with both of his hands.  "I'm not…," Wesley whispered softly with an overly excited smile on his face before he pulled Faith back into a kiss that started off slow and kind of awkward but turned into one of earnest when he felt Faith heavily lean into the kiss and press her body firmly up against his.  For several moments the two, disgraced watcher and rogue slayer, were in total bliss, not caring whether or not anyone saw them.  As Wesley began to pull away from the kiss to take in some much needed air Faith abruptly stepped back and briskly walked back into the room.  "Faith…," Wesley asked with a concerned frown on his face as he left his axe out on the balcony and followed Faith into the room.

"Wes I…I now that we shouldn't…but…hell this has always been so easy for me but now…I'm like a stupid freshman on prom night," Faith said with an oddly nervous for her smile on her face as she found that she couldn't look Wesley in the eye.

"I'm not your watcher anymore Faith…and even though I have some of the same feelings that you have, telling me that my feelings…for you, are wrong I'm willing to take a chance…if you are," Wesley said softly with a very sincere smile on his face as he slowly walked over to Faith, who now stood at the foot of the bed, before laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Ya know what Wes…I am…that's what I'm afraid of…," Faith whispered back her reply as she brought her hands up and slowly started to slide one underneath Wesley's shirt and around towards the small of his back while the other she lifted up to softly brush up against Wesley's cheek.

"Me too," Wesley said, barely in a whisper, as he cupped Faith's face with one hand while slowly wrapping his other arm around her slightly shivering body.  

"Good…," Faith added back only in her head as she and Wesley leaned into one of the most eager and memorable kisses that either had ever experienced. Seconds later Wesley slid his hand that was on the back of Faith's hip under her shirt.  The former rogue slayer jumped a bit at what Wesley thought was either the coolness of his touch or just the fact of his hand making contact with her skin.  As his hand continued its trek up her back Faith laughed into the kiss a bit.

"Who knew she was ticklish," Wesley thought with a small laugh back before Faith brought her other hand back down from Wesley's face and slowly pulled Wesley's shirt off, leaving her trying not to stare at his chest.  Her eyes slowly flickered over the many different size and shapes of scars that Wesley seemed to almost wear with pride.  Cautiously she traced one of the particularly ugly scars with her finger, her brows furrowing with worry.  "Gunshot from a zombie cop…I'll tell you about it if you want," Wesley asked with a soft smile on his face before Faith shook her head and smiled.  Before he could ask anything else Faith grabbed him by his belt and pulled him back into another passionate kiss.  This time his hands both went to work slowly pushing Faith's shirt up until she broke the kiss and helped him pull her shirt off, shivering slightly as the cool night air brushed up against her skin.  "Cold…," Wesley asked softly, his voice full of concern, as he pulled Faith close.

"Not anymore," Faith almost giggled back with a happy smile on her face before she pulled Wesley back into a kiss and started to back up towards the bed.  At the same time that the back of Faith's legs hit the foot of the bed Wesley's hands found the clasp of her bra.  With an unsure look on his face Wesley pulled away from the kiss and looked deep into Faith's eyes, seemingly asking for permission.  Faith said nary a word, only a sexy smile and nod of her head before pulling Wesley back into another kiss gave him his answer.  As the two collapsed back onto the bed Faith's bra slipped unceremoniously to the floor.  Unconsciously Faith dug her fingernails into Wesley's back, drawing blood from every cut.  In response Wesley turned the pair onto their side and brought one hand around to cup one of Faith's breasts while he pushed the fingers of his other hand down the back of her jeans, eliciting a sharp inhalation of air by Faith as he squeezed.  

"Hey," Faith forced out through a smile before she continued the kiss as she leaned her upper body into Wesley and brought her hands down from his back and set them about unbuttoning his jeans.  As she pushed the zipper down Wesley pushed her back a bit.  "What…," Faith asked with a confused and slightly hurt frown on her face.

"You first…," Wesley replied with a kiss as he returned the favor and began to unbutton Faith's pants, with a sheepishly smiling Faith soon helping.  

"Jerk…," Faith shot back with a fake scowl of anger on her face as she wriggled out of her jeans and kicked them off of the end of the bed.

"Slut…," Wesley growled back before he tilted his head and started trailing a line of kisses from Faith's collarbone up to her ear, finally nibbling at it a bit, causing Faith to shudder while snickering.  As he pulled back to kiss her again Faith took command and grabbed his jeans by his front pockets and pulled them off, getting quite a shock as she pulled his underwear off at the same time.  Wesley started to smile sheepishly and shrug his shoulders but Faith stopped him with a smile and a kiss before she let Wesley trail a warm hand down from her cheek along the curves of her body down to her hip.  Catching his thumb underneath the waistband of her panties he continued his trek and pulled the clean off, twirling them around on the end of his index finger before sending them flying towards the door.

"Bastard…," Faith shot back as she pulled Wesley into her, biting her lip and snapping her eyes shut at the sensation while Wesley went back to trailing a line of kisses on her neck.  For the two new lovers the next several hours were lost in one moment of ecstasy after another.

*                       *                             *                              *                      *                         *

Meanwhile downstairs in the lobby Angel was pacing nervously back and forth in front of the counter while Cordelia sat behind it, idly flipping through the paper.  Fred had called earlier about her progress at Wolfram and Hart.  She had said that Gunn and Giles had split everyone up and were able to find places to sleep for them all.  Almost immediately after that Giles had begun using everything at Wolfram and Hart's arsenal to try to find a way to get Buffy, Spike, and Molly back.  Robin had said that he wanted to talk to Faith but when Angel had looked around he had only been able to catch sight of Faith hurrying around a corner after flying up the stairs.  The slayer's son had become very angry at Angel's answer that Faith was probably wherever Wesley was.  Cordelia had grabbed the phone out of Angel's hands then and was quickly embroiled in a conversation with Willow about something that Angel didn't find any interest in.  But that phone call had been over an hour ago and Angel was finding it harder and harder to stay calm.

"Would you stop pacing around…you're making me nauseous," Cordelia exclaimed with a slightly sickly frown on her face as she placed a hand over her stomach.

"Sorry…but I hate this…waiting around for something to happen while Buffy's God knows where with Spike," Angel shot back with a frustrated and angry scowl on his face as he stopped pacing long enough to make sure that he got his point across.

"Of course…can't forget about Buffy…an army of murderous demon thugs is coming here God knows when to kill you…and me…and all that you can do is get jealous about your grandchilde and ex," Cordelia said with a very sad and somber tone to her voice and look on her face as she slumped her shoulders and looked away.

"Cordy…it's not like…Cordy…," Angel started to growl back with an angry scowl on his face before he actually looked over at Cordelia and saw the condition that she was in.  Without another word he slipped around the counter and walked up to her.  "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…," Angel mumbled softly with an embarrassed frown on his face as he hesitantly put his arms around Cordelia and drew her close.

"I know…it's just that…," Cordelia started to say with a heartbroken look in her eyes before she couldn't finish the sentence as she let a few tears fall and dropped her face into Angel's chest.

"We'll get through this Cordelia…I promise…and then things will get better, for all of us," Angel said with a worried smile on his face before he hugged the former cheerleader tightly, hoping that his prediction would come true, for all involved.

END OF CHAPTER 17


	18. The Morning After, And More

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 18-THE MORNING AFTER, AND MORE**

It was almost dawn before the research team that Wesley had called over from Wolfram and Hart had finished its initial investigation. Wesley and Faith had separately come back downstairs in their own time and Angel hadn't noticed anything different about them until he had walked past Faith and was almost knocked out by the overwhelming smell of Wesley that he had only ever smelled on one woman, Lilah.  Angel decided against saying anything at first as he had more important matters to attend to.  That being said though he made a mental note to talk to both parties later.  Angel gave Cordelia one final supportive pat on the shoulder before he went back outside to talk to the team from Wolfram and Hart.  Angel hadn't been gone long when Cordelia started in on Faith.

"You and Wesley sure were upstairs a long time…," Cordelia asked with a sly smirk on her face as she glanced over at Faith, who was staring across the lobby at Wesley, who stood at the Hyperion's front doors watching the exchange between Angel and the Wolfram and Hart employee.

"Shut up Cordelia," Faith growled back with an angry tone to her voice as she only half turned back towards the seer.

"Ooh…I hit a nerve…okay now you've got to spill, tell me everything…," Cordelia added, now with a very interested smile on her face and a wink, as she dropped the newspaper that she had been lazily flipping through and focused all of her attention on Faith, who squirmed a bit in her seat.

"Stop asking stupid questions…," Faith exclaimed with a nervous and angry frown on her face before she jumped out of her seat and walked towards the kitchen.

"Oh no, you're not walking away from this," Cordelia said with a very serious and confidant look on her face before she stood up and followed after the formerly rogue slayer just as Angel walked back in the front door.

"Anything," Wesley asked with a concerned and nervous frown on his face and his hand son his hips.

"Well it was definitely a portal that took Buffy, but other than that they're still not sure," Angel replied with an unhappy and frustrated scowl on his face as he let his gaze wash over the lobby, as if he was looking for Cordelia.

"So what now…you were so sure that the Scourge would attack us t…last night that you sent everyone to Wolfram and Hart…but…," Wesley added with a concerned and slightly confused frown on his face as he slowly walked back towards the center of the lobby, not looking at Angel as he did so.

"Well…sometime today we'll have to get back out there and try to find the Scourge, hit them before they hit us, but as what we're going to do right now…we're going to talk about what you and Faith did earlier," Angel started to say with a nervous shrug of his shoulders as he followed Wesley down into the center of the lobby before he slipped his hands into his pockets and cocked his head to one side as he awaited Wesley's response.  The former watcher cringed openly and slowly turned around on his heel with a shaky smile on his face, almost as if he was going to try to play dumb.  But then a light seemed to go on in his head and his expression became much more serious.

"Alright…let's have it then," Wesley said with a nervous shrug of his shoulders as he stood up straight and looked ready to face a firing squad.  Angel shook his head quickly, taken aback by the manner with which Wesley was handling the situation.

"Have what…," Angel asked with a confused and slightly frustrated frown on his face as he leaned back slightly and cocked an eyebrow at the Englishman in front of him.

"Your lecture about what Faith and I did upstairs was wrong and that you're very disappointed in us and…," Wesley started to say with a nervous and slightly scared frown on his face as he crossed his arms in front of him.  

"That's not what I was going to say at all Wesley, now while the thought of you and Faith…together…is…disturbing…at least at first glance…I'm going to try and not judge, but I do have one question…," Angel said with an unsure frown on his face as he and Wesley walked over and sat down on opposite sides of the small table in the lobby.

"Disturbing…Angel I…," Wesley asked with a somewhat confrontational and confused frown on his face as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Okay so disturbing was a bad choice of words…but you have to admit that you and Faith…heh…although now that I think about it when you two came after me, or actually Angelus, it didn't take you very long, and from the gossip that I heard you two had the demon world of Los Angeles scared," Angel replied at first with an apologetic smile on his face before the smile widened a bit in the middle and then turned into a serious frown at the end.

"That still doesn't explain why…it surprised me when it happened, one minute we were talking on the balcony as we waited for the team to finish their analysis of the courtyard…and the next minute my right hand is…," Wesley said with a nervous look on his face and shrug of his shoulders before he leaned back and seemed to get a nostalgic smile on his face.

"Okay Wesley…I think that's enough nostalgia for today, but does this mean that the two of you…I mean are you…," Angel said as he rushed to put his hands up in a defensive manner with an uncomfortable smile on his face before his tone became more nervous.

"Dating…hell if I know…although I can tell you one thing, Robin Wood is not going to be a very happy man when he finds out what we did," Wesley added with an unsure shrug of his shoulders before his face took on a look of worry as he finished.

"Good luck," Angel said with a knowing grin on his face as he stood up and patted Wesley on the shoulder on his way back towards the front doors of the Hyperion to talk with the leader of the security division that had accompanied the scientific division.

*                           *                      *                         *                          *                             *

Spike had bided his time well until it had come to the night that Jenny Calendar was to die.  A million different possibilities ran through his mind, possible alternate scenarios that didn't end up with Angelus killing her and then breaking Giles' heart by leaving his love propped up in his bed.  A large piece of him wanted to rush to Revello Drive and if he had to beg Buffy to get to the school and stop Angelus.  Another piece of him wanted to hurry to Giles' flat and alert him as to what was about to happen.  But as the day turned into night he stayed hidden in the shadows near the school, making sure that he concealed himself enough so that neither Angelus nor anyone else knew of his presence.  With tears that he tried for a time to keep back flooding down his cheeks he watched in silent horror at the drama that played out in front of him.  He watched how Angelus hunted and tracked the teacher down as the latter ran for her life, screaming for help.  More than once Spike found that he couldn't look at the sight any longer and had to turn away.  He steeled himself and his nerves with the knowledge that his family needed him to do his duty and bring the, as Dru had called her, nasty teacher back to Texas with him.

He thought about meeting up with Whistler after Buffy had met him for the first time in Giles' apartment but decided against it as he guessed that he'd probably screw something up.  And because of that he waited and kept out of sight until he saw Buffy and Giles walk slowly away from the grave, with the tired old watcher casting a heart wrenching look back every few steps at the grave of the woman that he had loved.  After the two had gotten into Giles' car and drive away Spike slowly crept down to the grave side and knelt down.  "Sorry I couldn't help you…but your death was all part of the big picture…it had to happen," Spike whispered softly with a tear in his eye as he reached out and traced the letters of her name on the tombstone, lying a dark red rose on the grave while he did so.

"What's with the waterworks Spike, she'll be back soon enough, and then comes the hardest part of this whole thing, you're going to have to convince her that she's no longer dead, and on top of that you'll have to convince her that you're not a vampire anymore and that she has to return to Texas with you to help you and the others get back to your correct time," Whistler said with a bored smile on his face as he adjusted his hat with one hand and held up a shovel with the other.

"You've got a lousy sense of timing Whistler, anyone ever tell you that," Spike growled softly back with a frustrated scowl on his face before he stood up and pulled off his duster and set it down nearby.

"Uh…is that a trick question…," Whistler replied with a dopey grin on his face as he scratched his head before Spike angrily grabbed the shovel away from him.

"Sod off…now if you're not going to help me dig then the least that you can do is keep watch, I don't fancy getting caught by the cops robbing a grave of its body…or having Buffy or Giles come back and get the wrong idea…try to stake me," Spike said with a very serious frown on his face before he moved the flowers that Buffy and Giles had place and then set about digging.

"Fine…you're no fun anyway…must get that from Angel…he was so thickheaded…I thought he'd never get it…," Whistler said with his hands up in a defensive manner, as he laid an old ladder down beside the grave, before he snickered a bit while slowly walking away to find a good place to sit to keep watch.

"No argument here…," Spike grumbled softly under his breath as he continued to dig, trying his best to not make to much of a mess as when he was finished he'd have to make it look like he'd never been there.  Almost an hour later, as his enhanced strength had helped speed up the process, Spike finally got down to the coffin and had cleared enough dirt away so that it could be opened without being filled with dirt.  Slowly Spike opened the top part of the coffin and had to wince at the sight.  Biting his lip, and a quick curse, Spike slowly and carefully picked Jenny's dead body out of her coffin and awkwardly carried her up the ladder.  Lying Jenny on the ground near her grave Spike wiped the sweat off of his brow before climbing back down the ladder to begin to clean up.  By the time that Spike had closed the coffin and filled the hole back in, remembering to make everything look pretty much how it had when he started, he stood up and brushed himself off.

"Good you're done," Whistler said with a smile of approval on his face as he walked up and leaned on one of the tombstones.

"So bring her back already, I need to get back to Buffy and Joyce," Spike grumbled with an unhappy frown on his face as he noticed how dirty he was.

"I will…but we can't do it here, the spell to reconnect her body and her soul is going to make a lot of light…if we did it out here it'd look like the fourth of July, and…," Whistler said with an unhappy frown on his face as he adjusted his collar.

"Fine…but you get to bring the shovel and ladder," Spike grumbled with an angry scowl on his face as he slipped his duster back on before carefully picking up Jenny's limp body and heading away from her grave.

"Wait…where are you going," Whistler asked with a slightly panicked look on his face as he hurriedly picked up the shovel and started to drag the ladder behind him.

"To my crypt…or at least what will be my crypt, we can cover up the windows and do it there, besides if she wigs out after you bring her back she won't be able to go anywhere," Spike shouted back over his shoulder before he disappeared into the night.

*                      *                          *                            *                         *                           *

"We should be there Giles…not sitting around here like dead weight," Robin said with a very unhappy and frustrated frown on his face as he leaned back in his chair and looked over to Giles.  After making sure that everyone was alright Giles and Robin had secluded themselves to an empty boardroom, hopefully to get some peace and quiet along with being able to possibly talk to Angel without any of the new slayers hearing.

"I understand your frustrations Robin, but Angel was right, it's best that we're here, where we and the new slayers are protected while he and the others are back at the Hyperion waiting for the Scourge," Giles replied with a nervous sigh as he tried his best to stifle a yawn.

"But I don't like it that Faith had to stay there…with that old watcher of hers…he looked so frail that…," Robin started to say with a very pessimistic frown on his face before Lilah opened the boardroom doors and interrupted him.

"He's not as frail as he looks…trust me, he's quite the animal in bed…or at least he was last time he and I…," Lilah said with a devilish smile on her face as she sauntered into the boardroom and sat down in a chair opposite Robin.  Robin and Giles could only sit in total shock for a few seconds before Giles finally found the right words to say.

"I don't think that I particularly like what you are implying Ms. Morgan," Giles said with a very stern and fatherly scowl on his face as he leaned forward in his chair, all before a slight smirk on Lilah's face slowly turned into a wide grin and then a hearty chuckle.

"God…you are old aren't you, no one's said anything like that to me since my grandfather," Lilah joked with a sly grin on her face as she brushed a piece of lint off of her shoulder and straightened the scarf that went around her neck and hid the scar.

"Do you actually want something…or are you just here to annoy the hell out of us…," Robin asked with a perturbed scowl on his face as he crosses his arms and leans back in his chair glaring across the table at Lilah.

"Both…just here to make sure that you and all of the little rats…I mean slayers are doing okay," Lilah replied with a nervous smile on her face as she leaned forward in her chair and clasped her hands together on the table in front of her.

"We're all doing fine Lilah, but I can't wait to get back to the hotel and check on Faith…keeping an eye on Faith...," Robin said with a slightly angry nod of his head before he spat out the last part with a disgusted look on his face.

"Oh he kept an eye on her all right…all…night…long," Lilah mumbled softly with a seductive smile on her face as she looked straight at Robin before she finished with a wink sent his way.  A stern look and a loud clearing of his throat was all that Giles could do to keep Robin from leaping across the table and trying his best to strangle Lilah.

"That is not funny Lilah…look if all you're going to do is…," Giles started to say with a hopefully calming tone of voice before Lilah turned her gaze towards him and interrupted.

"Remind you of exactly what she did to him and how crazy all of this is…yeah, I could see how tying him up like a piñata and giving him a few good whacks before resorting to slicing him up like a fresh fish with that nasty shard of glass…," Lilah started to say with a devilish glint in her eyes and smug smile on her face as she turned and looked out the window.

"You're lying, I know here…Faith would never…," Robin shouted with a very angry scowl on his face as he jumped to his feet and glared down at Lilah, who didn't seem to be the least bit scared.

"You don't know anything son of a dead slayer, that little bitch was in prison for murder…that she did actually commit, not to mention the number of times that she tried to kill Angel, Buffy, and the others before Summers was able to stick that knife in her gut and put her out of commission in a coma for awhile," Lilah replied with a mocking laugh before she twirled around in her chair and stood up.

"That was the old Faith Lilah, and the old Wesley, they're not the same people that they once were…a lot like Angel you could say…," Giles said with a growing scowl of frustration on his face as he stood up and tried his best to stay in between Robin and Lilah.

"The same Angel that after achieving a single moment of true happiness with the little bunny of a slayer Buffy turned back into Angelus and brutally and sickly killed your girlfriend…what was her name again…ah yes Jenny Calendar, before leaving her body in your bed and making it look like…," Lilah added with a sincere look of devilish glee on her face as she walked over to the window, registering Giles' reaction through his reflection in the window.

"That is enough," Giles shouted with a very angry look on his face as he slammed his fists down onto the top of the table and glared at Lilah.

"No…you're lying about all of this…Faith never did what you said and Angel…," Robin said with an overwhelmed frown on his face as he tried to keep himself under control and keep from looking at Lilah.  

"Everything that I said is true…if you thought that Spike was bad Mr. Wood then Angelus is evil beyond your wildest imagination, and Faith did all of that, after all why do you think that she's been so hesitant to come clean with the details about what happened between her and Wesley all those years ago here in sunny…well not so sunny anymore…Los Angeles," Lilah interjected with a wicked smile of glee on her face as she turned and leaned up against the window, her hand lazily wafting over her scarf.

"I don't have to listen to this," Robin declared with an angry and fed up scowl on his face before he turned and left the board room in a huff.

"My…quite the temper…he'd better watch it, or else it'll come back and bite him in the end…," Lilah started to say with a happy smile on her face as she turned to follow Robin out of the room before Giles grabbed her arm.

"You sound so sure of yourself Ms. Morgan…but tell me something how are you so sure about how much Wesley has changed…I've already seen how Faith…," Giles started to say with a very low and stern tone of voice as he forced Lilah to look him in the eye.

"I'll keep this simple okay…could your old Wesley have ever possibly done this without spilling his guts two seconds later," Lilah purred with a daring smile on her face before she quickly pulled the knot out of her scarf and reveled in Giles' gasp at the sight of the scar on her throat.

END OF CHAPTER 18


	19. She's BackCleaning Duty

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 19-SHE'S BACK-------CLEANING DUTY**

Whistler had been good to his word.  The spell to reconnect Jenny's body with her wandering soul had produced such an enormous torrent of light that for a split second Spike expected to burst into flames even though he was no longer a vampire.  The spell had been like many of the resurrection spells that Spike had seen before, although Spike didn't recognize any of the words that came out of the demon's mouth.  Making a mental note to ask Whistler about the spell later Spike waited out most of the spell by ducking behind one of the sarcophagus's in the crypt and waiting until the light died down.  

"You can come out now Spike, the spell worked," Whistler said with a relieved and tired smile on his face as he leaned back up against one of the stone pillars and closed his eyes.

"Are you sure…all I saw was a fancy light show and some crazy talk," Spike asked with an unsure frown on his face as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"Don't believe me eh…then why don't you ask her yourself," Whistler mumbled through a soft but yet deep intake of breath before he let it out and wiped a hand across his face.

"I'll do that…," Spike said with an annoyed scowl on his face as he walked around the sarcophagus and rested a hand on the nearest column as he poked his head around the corner of that column and gazed with interest at the teacher looking around with bewilderment and fear.

*                         *                                 *                  *                         *                          *

"I don't know how you did it…but you're lying, that scar is as fake as everything else that you've…," Giles started to exclaim with a defiant frown on his face before Lilah laughed a bit and smiled.

"It's all true Rupert…you don't mind if I call you Rupert do you…anyway I died and to keep me from possibly coming back as a vampire or some other big bad ole Wes hacked my head off with an axe, hence the nifty scar," Lilah purred back with a smile of delight on her face before she wrapped the scarf back around her neck.  

"But that still doesn't explain where this creature came from or what its motive is, not to mention the fact that Angel and his group now control an evil…no parlay that…the premiere evil law firm…," Giles debated with a worried look on his face as he began to pace around the room.

"Angel and his merry band did us a favor…so the senior partners rewarded them," Lilah said back with an almost bored look on her face before she sighed, shook her head, and walked out of the room, leaving Giles to only stare into the empty space where she had been.

*                        *                          *                         *                           *                       *

Faith had done her best to placate Cordelia's questions without giving away very much of the truth.  In her mind she was still trying to come to grips with what had happened with Wesley upstairs.  In her heart she had absolutely no regrets about their actions but in her head she knew that soon a decision would have to be made.  Unlike the many hundreds if not thousands of times before this one Faith actually felt the urge to stick around and stay with the man that she had just slept with.  A small slice of her mind was telling her that she should tell Robin what had happened and try to make things work with him.  However when she even ever so slightly cracked the door open to her heart their was only one outcome that called forth with the utmost clarity.  Her heart was directing her to her former watcher with such a fierce determination that at times Faith had to resort to rubbing ice cubes from the freezer on the back of her neck to keep from thinking about what she'd like to do with him.  But even that course of action could only keep her calm for so long.  It was like she had become addicted to a new drug, one that she simply couldn't get enough of, and that new drug's name was Wesley Wyndam-Pryce.

"Earth to Faith…hello…," Angel said with a slightly confused look on his face as he fell into step beside Faith and tried not to grin.

"Huh…what…oh Angel…you want something, or have you added scaring the shit out of me to your repertoire," Faith asked softly, a bit nervous at the tone of Angel's voice, as she sat down on one of the small couches on the edge of the lobby.

"Hardly Faith, no…I was just wondering what you were thinking about," Angel asked with a joking smile etched across his face as he sat down beside her and smoothed out a crease in his jeans.

"Me…Wesley, some ice cubes…cherries…and a whole hell of a lot of Cool Whip…," Faith responded softly with an embarrassed smile on her face as she crossed her arms and lightly rubbed the back of her left arm.

"A simple I'm thinking about Wesley would have sufficed ya know," Angel added with a nervous shrug of his shoulders before he leaned back in his seat and tilted his head to one side so that he could study the slayer sitting beside him.  Even from a brief once over Angel could see that Faith had changed in her time in Sunnydale.  Her amazing amount of confidence was still firmly in place but now the exhibitions thereof were less and further apart.

"Sorry…I'm just not used to this kind of thing," Faith said with a calm but slightly sullen frown on her face before she ran a hand nervously through her hair.

"Used to what kind of thing…being in charge…having friends…sorry Faith but you're going to have to be a bit more specific if I'm going to help you," Angel stated with a look of sincere concern on his face as he tried to keep from smiling at the difficulty that Faith was having admitting to the real reason for her hesitation.

"Being in love, wait…I mean…no…that's not what I, damn…," Faith replied softly at first with a truthful and heartfelt smile on her face before she realized what she was saying and she clammed up and swore loudly to try to cover her tracks.

"That's what I thought…," Angel thought with a happy smirk on his face as beside him Faith groaned loudly as she dropped her head into her hands and shook her head in dismay.

*                         *                         *                      *                          *                        *

"Stay away from me…Rupert, Buffy…," Jenny shouted with a terrified expression on her face as she scrambled back away from Spike, who had both hands up in a non threatening position and was trying his best to look as innocent as he could possibly get.

"Easy now pet…I'm not going to hurt you," Spike said with as sincere of a tone to his voice as he could muster as he slowly backed away from Jenny and turned to Whistler, a mighty glare in his eyes.

"I don't believe you…where's Rupert…," Jenny asked with an unconvinced scowl on her face as she backed up behind one of the larger columns in the crypt.

"In Los Angeles luv…but in the LA of the future…exactly four years from now…give or take…see Angelus killed you and set you up as a gag gift for Giles to find when he got home, now this might be hard for you to accept but…I'm not a vampire anymore, I'm human, more or less," Spike stuttered awkwardly through his initial explanation with a frustrated frown on his face as he tried to put his tidal wave of ideas into words that would hopefully explain everything.

"You're lying…," Jenny exclaimed with a slightly confused look on her face as she was seemingly believing part of Spike's story but not others.

"No Jenny…I'm not, like I said Angelus killed you but Whistler here brought you back so that when Buffy, Joyce, Molly, and I go back to our rightful time to royally kick some big bad's ass you and Giles can finally get that fairy tale ending that you two always wanted," Spike added with a nervous and bored look on his face as he slowly began to pace around the crypt, trying to come up with a way to show Jenny that he was telling the truth.

"This is getting old Spike, you and Ms Calendar here need to get back to your family in Texas, your time to get the spell cast is running out, and Noxon isn't going to wait around forever, she's a very busy…," Whistler interjected with an unhappy edge to his voice as he stepped in between the two and began to nervously fish around in his pockets for something.

"I know Whistler…I know…damn you're a bloody git…how did Angel ever stand you long enough to learn anything worthwhile…," Spike growled with a very angry scowl on his face as he stomped around the crypt before Whistler smiled with glee as he pulled a small liquid filled vial out of his pocket and hurled it at Spike.  "Bloody hell man…what the hell did you do that for," Spike exploded into a fit of anger as he shouted at Whistler before the balance restoring demon jumped out of the way and produced another vial from his pocket and showed it to Jenny.

"See Ms. Calendar, this is a vial of holy water…blessed by a priestess from your own tribe…see it bears the mark of your tribe, now if this is holy water then if I throw it at Spike and he bursts into flames then he's still a vampire, but if he doesn't then you'll know that everything that he's told you is the truth," Whistler said quickly with a nervous smile on his face, as Jenny slowly nodded her head with a look of subtle disbelief on her face, before Whistler hurled the vial at Spike, who didn't see it coming.  The vial exploded into Spike's forehead, showering his face with the holy water.  Spike was forced to bit his bottom lip to keep from ripping Whistler limb from limb while Jenny could only mutter softly to herself while staring wide eyed at Spike, who did not burst into flames but instead threw his hands up and stormed back outside of the crypt, leaving a beaming Whistler behind.

*                           *                           *                                 *                      *                  *

After his conversation with Faith Angel had spent much of the day trying to calm the new slayers down while keeping Andrew away from any of the important divisions of Wolfram and Hart, thus allowing Gunn and Fred to hit the books and try to come up with a reason for the Beast being back.  Giles and Robin had been hounding him all day about what Lilah had said and had finally cornered him in his office near sundown when Lilah had offered to take the new slayers shopping for clothes.  Sensing that something was amiss Angel had called Lorne and forced Lilah to sing for him before he allowed the shopping trip to commence.  Faith had slipped into the group unnoticed at first and was only found out when she began to haggle with a saleswoman about the price of a rather low cut blouse.  The argument had ended with Faith getting her way and none of the new slayers said a word until they got back out to the waiting limousines and Willow and Kennedy made sure to slip into the same limo that Faith slid into.

"Alright…lay it on me Will…," Faith grumbled with an unhappy expression on her face as she sighed deeply and leaned back in her seat while Cordelia did her best to stifle a giggle from nearby.

"Okay…is that for Robin…or for Wesley," Willow stuttered out with a nervous twitch of her before she curled her toes up inside her shoes and prepared for Faith's verbal assault that she was sure to come.

"It's none of your business Will, I'm just buying this top because I like it, that's all, it's been awhile since I've had some new clothes," Faith replied coolly with a restrained tone to her voice as Cordelia only smiled and nodded her head in reply.

"Oh…yeah, right…and what about the last outfit that you bought, the one that looked like it was molded to your body, those jeans and that shirt were so tight that if it hadn't been black leather I would have thought that you were naked," Kenney exclaimed with a totally unconvinced glare on her face as she leaned her head to one side and stared directly at Faith.

"Uh Kennedy, may I ask how you know about that last outfit," Cordelia asked with a slightly confused look on her face as she tried her best to tread delicately as she knew more than either Willow or Kennedy about what was truly going on.

"I peeked okay…and I noticed that she got the outfit off of the rack that only had stuff that was a few sizes to small for her, it just seemed odd to me," Kennedy replied with a confident and calm look on her face as she looked back and forth between Cordelia and Faith.

"You know what Kennedy, I think that you'd better start minding your own damn business before you piss me off…," Faith growled with a restrained glare of anger on her face as she did all that she could to keep from snapping Kennedy's neck right then and there.

"Okay…let's try to keep the homicidal thoughts to a minimum okay…or at least until the Scourge come," Cordelia  exclaimed with a nervous smile on her face as she leaned forward in her seat and glared first at Kennedy and then at Faith, who shrugged her shoulders and feigned indifference.

"A…is there any word on Buffy yet," Willow asked with a timid tone to her voice as she was making a rather obvious stab at changing the subject to a hopefully lighter note.  

"Not yet…but Wesley said that the Wolfram and Hart techies sounded pretty optimistic about being able to open up another portal to get Buffy and the others back," Cordelia replied quickly with an overly happy smile on her face, happy to be talking about something else at the moment.

"How optimistic…like gleefully optimistic, or they just said that they were optimistic so that Angel wouldn't kill them," Kennedy asked with a pessimistic expression on her face as she leaned in a bit closer to Willow, but all the while kept her eyes locked onto Faith.

"What's it matter really, if they can help get B back then it's good news…right," Faith exclaimed with a restrained glare on her face as she slowly nodded her head and looked out of the window, hoping to get a little bit of peace and quiet before she started the night that she had planned.

*                         *                           *                       *                 *                           *

"I have to see him…," Jenny stated with a very concerned and saddened look of panic on her face as she started to trek towards the door to the crypt.

"Oh no you don't luv…you can't see him or anyone else right now, remember to the world at large you're dead, and you're going to stay that way until we all go back through the portal that Noxon creates and get back to our right time, then you and ole Rupert can see all of each other that you bloody well want to for all I care," Spike exclaimed with a frustrated and impatient scowl on his face as he jumped up off of the sarcophagus that he had been sitting on and positioned himself squarely in Jenny's way.

"But he's suffering…I have to tell him that…to tell Buffy about the soul restoration spell that I translated…," Jenny pleaded with an intense look of emotional pain on her face as Spike saw in her eyes the depth of the love that the computer teacher had for Giles.

"Don't worry, Buffy and Red find the disk and find the translation, Red casts the spell…Angel gets his soul back but a little to late so Buffy's forced to send him to hell to save the world…long story short pet, they'll be okay, but we won't if we don't leave at first light," Spike countered determinedly as he shoved the door to his future crypt shut with his elbow and leaned back up against it, arms crossed over his chest.

"And why exactly is that…is that very fabric of space and time going to rip apart if we stay here more than a single minute past dawn," Jenny asked pointedly with a very serious and determined frown on her face and hands on her hips as she paced around the crypt, acting very much like a pent up animal wanting its freedom.

"Because luv, if anyone sees you still alive after your oh so public death then…well then…that'd be very bad," Spike countered with a growing look of frustration on his face as he tried to keep his calm.

"Fine…so tell me this then, why are you doing this…even though you're human now you must still hate Angelus, so why…," Jenny asked softly as she slowly resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Buffy…I gave up everything for her and was lucky enough to get a second chance with her…a second chance that I'm not going to fuck up just because my grandsire and I don't get along very well…she doesn't hate you, Buffy I mean…she did afterwards for a time…but when she found the disk she…," Spike at first growled back his reply before his countenance softened noticeably and he slowly walked away from the door, hoping that Jenny would stay where she was, and sat down on one of the sarcophagus' beside her.

"I knew she didn't…she was angry…I had betrayed her…and Rupert…I never meant to…," Jenny softly whispered with a conflicted look of regret on her face before Spike cut in.

"I know what that's like," Spike interjected with a look of sadness etched deeply upon his face as he shook his head and waited for the dawn to come.

*                        *                   *                                   *                       *                     *

"You're going to wear yourself out Buffy," Molly, with Joyce in her arms, pleaded softly as she followed a very nervous Buffy, duster in hand, around the living room.

"I'm fine Molly…but this place is far to dusty…," Buffy softly mumbled her reply back as she flittered around the room, dusting here and there.

"Spike will call when he and Ms Calendar are on there way back here, you can clean all you want the night before…but you're going to wear yourself out if you keep this up," Molly stated with a very serious frown on her face before she set Joyce down and watched as her niece slowly began to wobble towards the couch.

"You don't understand Molly, after I slept with Angel and he reverted to Angelus I was horrible…no beyond horrible to her…after she died I hated myself for how I had treated her, but I never got a chance to apologize…don't let her get the phone cord," Buffy replied with a far away look of sadness on her face before she snapped her head around, almost as if she had eyes in the back of her head, as Joyce grabbed on to the edge of the couch and headed for the phone cord with an excited smile on her chubby little face.

"Well don't worry Buffy, you'll have plenty of time after she gets here, we still have a few months before that Noxon casts the spell," Molly interjected with an awkward smile on her face as she rushed off after Joyce, snatching her up just before she could get her hands on the telephone cord.

"It'll take me that long to stop apologizing like every five seconds for being such a bitch to her…oh shit they're here…," Buffy started to reply with a very worried and slightly scared look on her face before the doorbell rang and through the small window in their front door she could see just enough of Spike's face to know that it was time to face the music.

END OF CHAPTER 19


	20. Lovers Reqium And Facing Your Past Sins

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 20- LOVERS REQUIM AND FACING YOUR PAST SINS**

His jaw dropped and his eyes bulged nearly out of their sockets at the sight that greeted his eyes when he turned his gaze back towards the women's restroom.  He knew a vampire named with the name that he could only use to describe the image in front of him but most rational thought left his mind within a few seconds of laying his eyes on her.  Her clothes seemed to be almost like a second skin, it was almost as if they had been formed from a mold of her body.  His eyes traveled the entire length of her body, from top to bottom, as an approving smile spread itself widely across his face.  Though she probably would have loved all of the attention her entrance was getting Faith kept her focus straight in front of her and on the look of awe on Wesley's face, avoiding the lustful glares of many of the men, and a few of the women, around her as she passed by.  Wesley expected Faith to walk, or maybe saunter was the more apt term, up to him but was surprised when she stopped a couple of feet in front of him and gave him one of her trademark zealous smiles and an odd wink.

His left foot suddenly sprang to life and was about to have him take a step forward when the slow song that had been boring both to death ended  and another song began, one that it didn't take Wesley long to figure out that Faith had specifically asked for.  With the first emphasize drumbeat of the song Faith raised her arms above her head and rocked her hips to one side, the second beat of the drum brought an equal reaction but to the other side.  Soon her hips were staying in step with the beat, driving like evenly matched pistons as Faith swaggered her way forward towards him.  As she neared him her hips stopped their intoxicating motions and she began to slowly sway her hips from side to side, making sure that Wesley's eyes were on her the entire time.  His hands, seemingly possessing a mind of their own, inched out away from his body.  With a slightly angry pout on her face Faith shook her head first to one side and then the other, allowing her long blonde highlighted chocolate trusses to sway in an almost hypnotic dance.  His hands ceased there trek forward only moments before their bodies met, with Faith suggestively wrapping one leg around his before their lips met in a fiery kiss.  His hands had only just settled on her slender waste before she pulled away and spun around against him, slinking one arm around his back and throwing the other back behind his head.  The next several minutes were an almost drug induced high to the two on the dance floor.  Neither dared a care what anyone thought, focusing solely on how their bodies almost seemed to fit together like pieces from a jigsaw puzzle.  Wesley's hands slung around her waist, as she gave her herself over to the music and her own feelings for him, while Faith kept herself pressed back up as close to Wesley as she could.  His hot breath on the back of her neck sent excited shivers down her spine, only furthering the high that she was screaming through.  They continued their dance slowly at first, but soon were lost in the moment, drawing wide eyed stares from many onlookers.  The song ended with neither Wesley nor Faith realizing it, both were too lost in each other's gazes to notice.  Wesley finally became aware of the fact that the song had ended when the dj came over the loudspeaker and loudly cleared his throat.

"Faith…the music stopped," Wesley whispered softly with what little breath remained him before he did the best that he could to draw in a deep breath of air without moving from his spot.

"So…," Faith whispered back softly with a carefree edge to her voice as it was clearly evident that she could care less if she and Wesley were being stared at by the majority of the crowd.

"Faith, we really…," Wesley started to add softly with a nervous smile on his face before an ear piercing scream rang out.

"Fuck…," Faith growled angrily under her breath with a pissed off scowl on her face before she launched herself away from Wesley, just as a pack of vampires roared out onto the dance floor.

"Faith…wait, don't…we should," Wesley tried to shout to Faith but his words were lost in the din of the shouts of terror from the crowd.  Not trying to get Faith's attention again at the moment Wesley started to rush forward to keep a vampire from snapping a young girl's neck Wesley failed to notice the condition of the floor in front of him.  Had he had the time he would have noticed that the floor was covered with a combination of sweat, blood, and whatever everyone in the crowd was drinking.  His left foot slipped out from under him first, followed by the other, before Wesley went down hard onto the floor, nearly hard enough to knock the wind out of him.

Faith had spun far enough away that she wasn't immediately aware of Wesley's unfortunate accident and almost instantly went into full slayer mode.  The terrified members of the crowd began to scream and shout and scramble for the exits, with the vampires hot on their tales.  Faith rushed over to the bar and snapped a leg off of one of the chairs before she ducked underneath the attack of the first vampire to notice that she, unlike the others, hadn't run away in sheer panic.  As she ducked down she spun around on her heel and sprang upward, driving the improvised stake straight through the vampires heart, getting showered with dust in return.  The next vampire to cross her path met a similar fate as the previous one had.  However with this vampire she gave it a couple of quick roundhouse kicks to the chin before making more work for the club's custodian.  She was about to head off a couple of the vampires that were trying to pick off the stragglers from the crowd when her memory kicked in and she remembered that Wesley had also gone off to fight the vampires.  She leapt up onto a table and frantically scanned the crowd for any sign of her former watcher.  After several seconds of not seeing any sign of him she was about to strike out in a panic but stopped when she caught sight of him struggling with one of the larger vampires.  And idea formed in her head just as she vaulted from tabletop to tabletop before diving on top of the vampire that was trying to strangle Wesley.

"Die…," The vampire growled with a wicked grin on its face as its golden eyes locked onto Wesley's jugular.

"Not in this lifetime pal," Faith quipped with her usual cocky edge to her voice before she reached down and grabbed the vampires head on both sides and gave it a hard twist.  The vampire went down like a house of cards in a strong wind, releasing a gasping Wesley directly into the path of two incensed vampires come to avenge their fallen friend.  "Wes…," Faith shouted with worry thickly laden in her voice as she did her best to scramble away from the large vampire. She was about to go to Wesley's aid but stopped in her tracks as Wesley spun back a bit, grabbed the makeshift stake out of her hand and spun back around just at the right time to block the first vampires swing with one hand before driving the stake through that vampires heart.  He waded through the cloud of dust and clamped a hand around the remaining vampire's throat before he felt the sting of a knife being drawn across his side.  Grunting in pain and shock Wesley released both his grip on the vampires neck and the stake, stumbling back into Faith, knocking the two down into the pile of the dead bodies of the club goers that hadn't been lucky enough to get out while they could.  As they crashed down into the pile Faith's shoulder slammed down into something hard and she bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain as she felt her arm slip out of joint.  The vampires, seeing an opening, began to pounce on Wesley and Faith but stopped when the others of their group bugged out and tore up the clubs steps and headed for the doors.  Growling in anger those vampires that had been ready to attack Faith and Wesley took off after their comrades and fled the scene.  Almost an hour later found Faith and Wesley back at his apartment, with Wesley having to use every ounce of strength left in his body to help Faith pop her shoulder back into place.

"How's that…," Wesley asked with a lightly painful grimace on his face as Faith stepped back and slowly rotated her arm on its full axis, wincing slightly as she pushed the arm faster and faster.

"It'll do…now what about you, that vampire had a knife and…," Faith replied with a satisfied shrug of her shoulders before she stepped back towards Wesley and grabbed the middle button of his shirt and pulled him towards her.  "Got lucky…," Faith whispered with a well hidden tone of worry in her voice as she slowly pushed Wesley down into the biggest chair in his living room.  "Wait here, I'll get the first aid kit," Faith said softly with a tired yawn before she disappeared into the kitchen.  When she reappeared her hair had been pulled back into a loose ponytail and she was fishing through the contents of the first aid kit.

"You really didn't need to get the first aid kit Faith, it's really not much more than a scratch, see it's already stopped bleeding," Wesley said with a tired smile on his face as he slowly pulled the edges of his shirt back and stared at the wound that had indeed stopped bleeding.

"I'll be the judge of that," Faith joked with a half worried smile on her face as he sat down on the coffee table and set the first aid kit down on her lap.

"Really Faith I…," Wesley started to grumble back in reply before he hissed as Faith began to blot the wound with a cotton ball with some hydrogen peroxide soaked into it.

"God Wes…quit being such a big baby," Faith taunted with a daring smile on her face as she used up her first cotton ball and then set about cleaning the rest of the wound with a second one.

"Fine…now how about you, are you hurt," Wesley groaned softly with a defeated look on his face as his hands moved from their spots on the armrests of the chair to Faith's sides.

"Whoa pal, there'll be plenty of time for that later…right now I need to…," Faith stated plainly with a lighthearted threat built into her tone of voice before Wesley slipped his thumbs in underneath and simultaneously traced the edges of her stomach muscles from her sides down until he hooked both thumbs into the waistline of her pants and pulled her forward into at first a soft and gentle kiss.  "On second thought…," Faith whispered softly through the kiss with a half smile before she leaned in a bit further and kissed Wesley again.

"We could always skip ahead and…," Wesley started to whisper softly to Faith with a randy tone to his voice before a light turned on in Faith's eyes and she stepped back away from Wesley and stood up.  Wesley started to get up but an abrupt and forceful shove from Faith kept him down in his seat.

"Hey now Wes…don't you know that you've gotta stay in your seat until the show's over," Faith purred with an excited smile on her face as she walked over to Wesley's radio and spent the next several seconds trying to find the right station.

"Faith…what are you…," Wesley asked with a confused and slightly nervous look on his face as he leaned back in the chair and laid his head to one side, staring at Faith out of the corner of his eye.

"Hush…," Faith whispered harshly with an angry pout on her face as she half glared back at Wesley before she found the radio station that she had been searching for.  Wesley sighed deeply and shrugged his shoulder as he settled back into the chair and stared at the ceiling while Faith cranked the volume up and waited for the music to begin.

Wesley cocked an eyebrow and frowned when the first few beats of the music started to spring out of his radio.  He had heard the song before and guessed at Faith's reason for choosing the radio station and the song.  He started to lower his head before he heard Faith's voice waft towards him over the beat.

"You know what Wesley, I wonder why you guys are called watchers anyway, most of the time you don't even watch the battles, mostly you watchers just watch the boring stuff like Masterpiece Theater reruns and shit like that…well I'm going to make you earn the title of watcher today pal…so let's see those pretty blues of yours," Faith exclaimed with a joking edge to her voice as she swayed her hips to the beat from side to side as she edged closer to Wesley, finally passing around the couch before standing almost directly in front of Wesley.

"What…," Wesley asked with a confused and somewhat startled frown on his face as he lowered his head before Faith cut him off with a wave of her hand and her words.

"You're my watcher right…so do you job and sit there and watch me…," Faith laughed out her reply before she reached down and slowly started to pull her shirt off over her head.  An act that was both sexy and humorous because of the fact that the shirt was so tight that she almost got the shirt stuck three fourths of the way off before finally yanking it off and twirling it around on her finger before hurtling it across the room.  Wesley watched in a rapture of silence as Faith let the music control her body, almost instantly hypnotizing Wesley with her movements.  Faith spun around on her heel and made sure that Wesley would get an unhindered view of her backside as she leaned down and untied her boots before kicking them off to either side.  Wesley tried to force his mouth to form the words to a question but his efforts failed him as Faith turned around and curled her back slightly away from him, hanging her head down a bit, after pulling her hair out of the ponytail and letting it fall down beautifully in front of her face, and slowly began to unzip her almost painted on pants, zipper tooth by zipper tooth.  Just before Wesley didn't think that he could stand it any longer Faith softly grunted and tugged her way out of the pants that she had been wearing and tossed them over her shoulder as if they were a roll of paper towels.  Wesley now fully leaned back in his seat and took in the view of the goddess in front of him as she, clad in only a barely there thong and bra, resumed her gyrations to the beat, all the while making sure that Wesley's gaze was locked solely on her.  With a sexy smile on her face Faith crept forward until she pushed Wesley's legs together and lowered herself down onto the chair, straddling him in the process.  With a soft humming along to the music Faith cupped Wesley's face in her hands and pulled him forward into a long and soft succession of kisses as she started at his forehead and traveled all over his face before she bent over a bit and continued on to his neck and then collarbone and shoulder.  Wesley softly moaned with pleasure before Faith pulled her hands back from their spots on his shoulders and undid the clasp of her bra, letting it fall down onto Wesley's lap without ever taking her eyes off of Wesley's intense gaze.  A happy snicker escaped his lips as a pleased smile spread itself across his face.

"You are so beautiful," Wesley whispered softly to Faith with a look of such sincerity on his face and in his eyes that Faith was at first taken aback by his honesty.

"Bet you say that to all of the…," Faith started to say back with a daring smile on her face before Wesley brought his hands up from their spots on the armrests and used his thumbs to lightly squeeze a trail down the outside of both of Faith's breasts, almost instantly taking her breath away.

"No…just you," Wesley interjected with a look of loving awe on his face before his hands slipped around Faith to pull her closer and into a wave of kisses that left both breathless.  

"Now for the real fun…," Faith cooed softly with an intense look on her face as she reached down and undid his belt and then proceeded to pull the zipper down on his pants.

"For the both of us…," Wesley growled back with an excited vigor as in one motion he slipped his hands down underneath the side straps of Faith's thong and continued until he got a good grip on the underside of both of Faith's hips and stood up, letting his pants fall to the ground and picking Faith up in the process.  With a delighted grin on her face Faith leaned forward and nibbled on Wesley's ear while she locked her legs in place around Wesley's waist as he made his way from the living room and into the bedroom.  Next came Wesley trailing a line of kisses around Faith's shoulders, neck, and lips as he carried her into the bedroom.

"Ya know…all talk and no play makes Faith a dull girl…," Faith snickered out with a fake look of anger on her face before Wesley abruptly dumped down onto the foot of his bed.  The first thought to Faith's mind was one of anger, but that soon changed at the look of desire in Wesley's eyes as he leaned down and kissed her with more love than any prior man ever had.  As she broke the kiss Faith slithered her backwards up the bed on her elbows, slipping out of her panties and giving Wesley her best come hither look along the way.  She didn't have to wait long before Wesley stripped off his own underwear and dove forward on top of her.  It was an act that got an almost goofy giggle from Faith before her mouth was busy with other tasks.

*                             *                    *                     *                     *                               *

Buffy froze instantly upon the realization that Spike had returned to their apartment with Jenny in tow.  The entire time that he had been gone she had mentally been trying to prepare herself for this very moment, intermittent with trying to keep Joyce from missing her father to much.  It had been clearly evident early that Spike and Joyce shared some kind of special connection.  The first overnight trip that Spike had taken after she was born had only been one night but Joyce had screamed her little lungs out seemingly the entire time.  As if on cue Spike had shown up at the door just as Buffy had picked up her cell phone to call and tell him to come home.  He had said that he had been unable to catch even the slightest amount of sleep in the crappy hotel that he had checked into, as anything better would have raised both suspicions and the possibility that his presence would have been detected and possibly somehow change the future.  When Molly noticed that Buffy's hands had begun to tremble she had reached out and took them into her own, trying to calm Buffy's frayed nerves if it were possible.

"Don't worry yerself to death Buffy, it'll all turn out for the better, just you watch…," Molly said with a very serious and hopefully comforting look on her face as she kept watch on Joyce in her position in the center of the couch.

"When did you get so smart," Buffy joked with a nervous smile on her face as she set the dust cloth down on the counter and wiped her hands on her jeans.

"Living with you and Spike for a couple of years will do that to a trollop like me," Molly said softly with a downcast frown on her face as she turned to walk towards the door.

"Molly…what…you're not a trollop you're…," Was all that Buffy could get out before Molly shrugged her shoulders and opened the door, almost instantly diving onto Spike and throwing her arms around him as tight a bear hug as she could give him without hurting him while nearly squealing about how happy she was that he was back.

"Nice to see you to Nibblet…you didn't go and get knocked up while I was gone did you," Spike asked with an impish smirk on his face before an aghast Buffy jumped in.

"Spike…," Buffy exclaimed with a look of total disbelief and shock on her face as she began to storm forward towards him but stopped in her tracks and nearly fell back as Jenny Calendar, looking just as beautiful as she had the day that she died, walked into the apartment.

"Hello Buffy," Jenny said with a conflicted look of both fear and joy on her face before she felt the urge to turn on her heel and leave the apartment as quickly as she had come in.

END OF CHAPTER 20


	21. Shadowed Homecomings

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.**

**CHAPTER 21-SHADOWED HOMECOMINGS**

It was the shrill and annoying sound of a telephone that pulled her out of her slumber.  She started to pick her head up but quickly slammed it back down as the pain in her temples became to much to bear.  She couldn't remember having that much to drink but guessed that she had used the alcohol to allow her to build up enough courage to put her plan into action.  A quick turn of her head and glance at the foot of the bed proved her most feverish wishes to be true.  Sleeping, and snoring, peacefully at the foot of the bed Wesley lay in a similar position to Faith, on top of the covers and completely without a shred of clothing on.  Through the pain of the hangover Faith spent what felt like an eternity, but in the end it only amounted to a few fleeting seconds, staring at her what…buddy, boyfriend…no she was now she realized finally staring at the first man that she had every truly loved in her entire life.  That realization hit her not unlike a ton of bricks would, although the affect wasn't very negative as she felt calmer than she had in many days.  She probably would have gone on watching him forever had the phone not chosen that most inopportune of moments to ring.  

"Damn…," Faith grumbled softly enough so that her head didn't feel like it was about to explode as she haphazardly tried her best to grab the telephone.

"Whoever it is we're not at home…," Wesley joked through his closed eyelids as he slowly rose from the bed and stumbled out of the bathroom and towards the kitchen.

"Yeah…who the fuck is it," Faith growled with an unhappy and impatient frown on her face as she brought the receiver up to her ear with one hand and brushed the hair off of her face with the other.

"Nice to see that you haven't lost any of your tact," The honey edged voice said jokingly from the other end of the line before Faith rolled her eyes and let slip a small sliver of a smile.

"Very funny Lorne, please tell me that you're not calling to try to ask me if I'm happy with my current long distance carrier because…," Faith replied softly with a hint of a chuckle in it as she pushed herself up a bit to rest on her elbow.

"Nah…Amy in communications will do that right in the middle of dinner tonight…but that's not why I'm calling…Giles wanted to go over a few things with Wesley…boy will he be surprised when I tell him that you answered the phone…I wonder what you two lovebirds were doing all night…," Lorne added with a sing song tone to his voice as knew that he was pushing his limits a bit but felt safe since Faith couldn't reach out and strangle him over the phone.

"Whoa…wait a minute…you can't tell…heh…hey…heh…Wes what the…no, stop that…," Faith started to dart out her reply before her body went through a couple of quick spasms as ice cold droplets of water came into contact with her skin.  Those were followed by Wesley placing one ice cube in the small of her back and using another one to trail a line down her body, starting off high up on the back of her neck and traveling down her spine before lightly tapping on her behind and then continuing on down to her heels.

"Huh…what'd you say Faith…I uh didn't catch that last part," Lorne asked into the phone as he had to quickly step into an office and shut the door lest Giles see the huge grin on his face.  Lorne edged the phone away from his ear as a tidal wave of laughter erupted from the other end.  "Guess I'll have to tell Giles that he and Wesley can talk over lunch instead of breakfast…," Lorne mumbled with a happy smirk on his face before he shut the phone off and slipped it into his pocket and hummed a happy tune as he opened the door and walked back out of the room.

*                           *                             *                        *                        *                  *

"Ms…I, I'm sorry," Buffy started to say with a completely petrified look of terror on her face before her muscles sprang back to life as she rushed forward and took Jenny into a tight hug, long pent up sobs finally being unleashed.  

"Buffy…I…," Jenny stammered out with a confused and overwhelmed expression on her face as she slowly returned the hug, not sure of exactly what has transpiring.

"So what'd ya bring me Spike, it'd better not be some bloody…," Molly asked at first with an innocent smile on her face before she furrowed her brows, placed her hands on her hips, and glared at Spike.

"Don't get yer panties in a twist Nibblet…," Spike replied with an absent look in his eye as he spoke to Molly but kept his gaze fixed on Buffy and Jenny, hoping that he wouldn't have to intervene.

"Cool…uh what is it…," Molly asked with at first an elated and then confused look on her face as she opened up the box that Spike had lain on the coffee table.

"Ancient demon totem, basically it'll protect you from being vamped…as long as you're wearing it that is…and a little something that I saw in a store window and just thought that you'd like…don't tell Buffy but I didn't exactly…pay…for this…," Spike answered softly with an expectant smirk on his face as he explained to Molly what the item was before he picked up and then handed another package to Molly as she handed an overly excited Joyce to Spike.  With fervor Molly tore open the package and her jaw nearly hit the floor as she pulled the item out of the box.  Spike stepped back and tried to keep from laughing at the overjoyed look on Molly's face as she held up her own black duster in front of her.  With a high pitched squeal Molly took her gifts and tore off to her room, nearly slamming the door behind her.  "I think aunt Molly liked her gifts…," Spike snickered softly under his breath to Joyce as he hugged her tightly before turning his attention back to Jenny and Buffy, who stood now simply staring at the other, both desperately wanting something or someone to break the ice between them after the hug.

"I'm sorry…," Buffy said with a sad and embarrassed frown on her face as she crossed her arms and stared down at the tops of her shoes.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Buffy, I should have told you sooner about what I was doing sooner, maybe it would have changed things…," Jenny said with a determined and serious look on her face as she nervously began to wring her hands.

"Yes I do…I was horrible to you…I took all of my anger out on you, it's a miracle that I didn't kill you…and you never yelled at me…I was such a bitch…," Buffy pleaded with an angry at herself expression on her face before Spike walked around behind her and wrapped a supportive arm around her slightly shaking shoulders.

"No Buffy, you were reacting like any seventeen year old girl would have if that had happened to them, I should have been more forthcoming with you and Rupert from the beginning, if it makes you feel any better I never hated you…for any of it, personally I was more afraid that Rupert hated me…," Jenny replied sadly with a worried look on her face before she walked over to the couch and sat down, shoulders slumped in a defeated looking posture.

"He never hated you, he was just upset that you lied to him…to us all, but more importantly him for so long that…," Buffy stated with a nervous sigh and shrug of her shoulders as she reluctantly sat down on the couch beside Jenny.  For his part Spike quickly took a seat beside Buffy and wrapped a welcoming arm around her waist.

"Do…do you think that he'll…hate me when we get back to the future, maybe it'll all be to much for him and he won't want to see me," Jenny stammered through her question with a slowly unraveling angle to her body posture before Spike broke in.

"Rupert will probably be tickled pink luv, he'll probably get so flustered that we'll hear a few of his trademark…oh dear's…don't worry about it, what you should be worried about is what's going to happen when you and Peaches first meet…that'll be one to see…," Spike interjected with a serious look on his face as the point that he threw in at the end left them all in silence, except for Joyce who scrambled out of Spike's lap and threw herself headlong at her mother.

*                         *                          *                        *                      *                            *

"Hey…stop doing that…," Faith squealed with a happy giggle as she tried to glare at Wesley but couldn't as he swept his head down and sucked up the remains of the melted ice cube.  After Lorne's call Wesley and Faith had taken to making productive use of the ice cubes, and several other items like them, before the two had settled back on Wesley's bed with Faith propped up on her elbows staring down at Wesley as he propped an ice cube up in her bellybutton and smiled as she sucked her stomach in when the ice cube began to melt.  When it had melted enough Wesley would slurp up the liquid and the ice cube at the same time.  Then Faith would repeat the process but on Wesley instead.  Being that the ice cubes were not simply made of water but first of whiskey and then vodka.  

"Why…when this is so much fun," Wesley replied with a daring grin on his face before he cupped Faith's cheek with one hand and pulled her into a kiss that threatened to evolve into something much further but was stopped when the doorbell rang.

"Saved by the bell," Faith giggled with a somewhat reluctant smile on her face as she pulled away from Wesley and burrowed under the covers before adding with a very commanding tone to her voice, "Whoever it is I'm not here."

"I'll try to remember that luv…," Wesley replied through a tired sigh as he slowly pulled himself out of bed and pulled on his wrinkled pair of jeans from the night before and headed out of the bedroom.  "I swear she's going to be the death of me yet…," Wesley grumbled softly under his breath with a half cocked grin on his face before he turned the doorknob and pulled.

"Good you're up, we have work to do…," Cordelia stated with a very proud smile on her face as she lightly patted Wesley's cheek before letting herself into the apartment, followed closely behind by Dawn and Andrew, both of whom had to take considerable effort to keep from staring at Wesley in his current sans shirt state.

"Good morning Cordy…nice to see you two…please strut your way into the apartment without permission…," Wesley grumbled sarcastically with an annoyed and nervous frown on his face as he scratched his chin and shut the door behind him.

"Hey…I waltzed in here pal…and since when did I need permission…by the way Wes, you might not want to let Dawn and Andrew get a glimpse of this," Cordy exclaimed with her usual carefree smile on her face before she crouched down and picked something up.  When she turned around she finished her message to Wesley as she nearly laughed at Wesley's eyes as they grew wide when looking straight ahead at what Cordelia was holding up in between her index finger and thumb.

"Erm yes well…Dawn, Andrew, Cordelia…what brings the three of you here," Wesley joked with an overly nervous smile on his face as his hand shot out, took a hold of the offending piece of lingerie and quickly jammed it into his pocket as both Dawn and Andrew whirled around.

"What was that…," Andrew asked with a confused look on his face as he cocked an eyebrow and stared at Wesley's pocket, almost sensing that he had missed something important.

"I'll tell you when you're a little older Andrew…but Cordelia you still didn't answer my question, I'm aware that Giles wants to go over a few points with me but…," Wesley replied with a daring grin on his face, one that was completely lost on by both Dawn and Andrew, but Cordelia could only grit her teeth to keep herself from diving into a giggle fit.

"Lilah got on his and Robin's case earlier about you and Faith and he's all hot and bothered about it…yuck…not liking that visual…anyway there's something that I needed to talk to you about first…in private if you don't mind…," Cordelia replied with a joking smile on her face at first before her demeanor grew more serious and she took Wesley by the arm before the two entered the bedroom and Cordelia shut the door behind her.  "You can come out now Faith, I know you're under there, I can see your foot," Cordelia added softly with a wink at Wesley as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back up against the door.

"Fine…hey Queen C…what brings you here this morning…other than bringing up several interesting possibilities for ways to spend the day…to bad Dawn and the geek are here…," Faith grumbled with an angry frown on her face at first before she crawled out from under the covers just enough to wink at Wesley and lick her lips suggestively at Cordelia.  Silence fell on the trio for a bit before Cordelia completely grasped the quote and her eyes grew wide before she shook her head and walked towards the bathroom.

"Yeah…no…wait, scratch that…I'm here because I need to talk to the two of you about Angel, we need to make sure that he doesn't go overboard in his attempts to get Buffy back, I don't think that I have to remind either of you…well maybe the delinquent over there in the bed…who's needing to get some clothes on before one of the two impressionable youths out there gets curious…about how far Angel will go to get someone back that he loves," Cordelia said softly at first with traces of a sly smile on her face, one that was hidden from Wesley and Faith as the former cheerleader kept her gaze locked onto the bathroom window, before she turned around and cocked an eyebrow at Faith as the dark slayer stretched a little to far across the bed to pick up one of the half empty bottles of whiskey from the morning's earlier activities.

"Sorry…," Faith said through a half drunken giggle as she crawled back underneath the covers with the bottle.

"Sure you are…God this is going to take awhile," Cordelia moaned softly with a clearly annoyed frown on her face as she rolled her eyes and didn't look at Wesley, who was obviously beginning to feel the effects of all of the alcohol that he had consumed off of and with Faith earlier in the day.

*                    *                     *                               *                    *                       *

"No…that can't be…how did you ever get Spike to wear that…," Jenny asked with a stunned smile on her face as she and Molly sat on the couch with one of the latter's photo albums spread across their laps and several more sitting nearby on the floor in neat and orderly piles.  It had been some time since Spike had brought Jenny back from Sunnydale and it hadn't taken the former computer teacher and the new slayer long to bond.  At first Buffy had been fearful of that fact, fearing that she'd be left out of the loop.  But over time the three, two slayers and the former teacher, would often be sitting around the kitchen table sipping hot chocolate and swapping stories long into the night when Spike would stumble in and growl at them that any decent woman with a good head on her shoulders would have been in bed hours ago, especially one with a young child.  Buffy's reply's would always be generally the same, pacify him with enough assurances until he'd stumble into the shower and then off to bed.  After that the three would continue to talk until Jenny had to cross the hall back to her apartment and turn in for the night so that she could get up early enough to get to work on time.  To her credit Jenny had found a job working in the back of small Wiccan shop in the neighborhood.  She would keep the inventory in order and everything in stock.  In return she got to keep out of sight of most of the customers and keep the chances of her being recognized by anyone to a minimum.  

"You should have seen it, Buffy n' I gave him our best puppy dog eyes and he caved like a bloody baby in like three seconds flat," Molly replied with a short laugh of her own as she recalled the fond memory.  In the almost three years that she, Spike, and Buffy had been stuck in the past Molly had blossomed.  No longer did she look anything like the meek and almost timid fifteen year old that had shown up with Kennedy, Annabelle, and Giles at Buffy's front door what seemed like years ago but in truth was years yet to come.  Buffy had replaced worrying about Dawn going on dates with boys with Molly going on dates with boys.  Like Dawn Molly was now easily taller than Buffy, a fact that the younger slayer never hesitated to bring up with a well intentioned grin on her face, before Spike would give her a look that told her in no uncertain terms to drop it.  In teasing Spike had joked that if he wasn't so much in love with Buffy and firm in the knowledge that if he ever even thought about Molly in a romantic way that there'd be a stake with his name on it, human or not, that Molly had grown into quite the beautiful young woman that turned many a head in town.  

"I wish I could have seen that…," Jenny said with a warm smile on her face before she picked up the newest scrapbook and began to slowly look through it.  Her gaze was met with pictures of the holidays that the small group had spent together, of a Christmas trip to the mountains and snowball fights that only stopped when it got cold enough that Buffy had to take Joyce in and put the little angel to bed.  Another picture was of a Thanksgiving that had finally gone the way that Buffy had always wanted, except for the noticeable absence of her closest friends and family.  Even though they knew that they could never step foot back in Sunnydale of their current time again Jenny and Spike had used their contacts and friends to keep up to date the goings on in Sunnydale, just to make sure that nothing out of the ordinary happened that they didn't remember happening.  Luckily nothing had happened and as the time neared for their return trip to the present they had stopped getting the good word about their former home.  

"It was great…Buffy always teases Spike that when we get back she's going to blow that picture up and frame it," Molly joked with a somewhat tired smile on her face before a weary and odd acting Buffy slipped back into the apartment, shutting the door behind her.

"Oh Buffy you're home great I…Buffy…what is it, what's wrong," Jenny started to say with a slightly bored sigh before she saw Buffy's reddened eyes and the tissue in her hands.

"Wrong…nah…nothing's wrong, I'm okay…fit as a fiddle…," Buffy replied weakly with a scared look on her face before she sniffled and wiped her nose with the tissue.

"Buffy…please…," Molly pleaded with a gentle but stern frown on her face as she set the scrapbook aside and stood up.

"I just got the news…I'm pregnant…," Buffy replied softly with an overwhelmed and nervous look on her face before she slumped down into one of the chairs in the kitchen, not caring that her purse spilled open at the act.

END OF CHAPTER 21

ADDED BIT-NOXON WILL APPEAR NEXT CHAPTER, AND FOR MOST OF THIS CHAPTER FAITH IS A BIT DRUNK SO…


	22. AftershocksGoing Home

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce and Noxon.**

**CHAPTER 22-AFTERSHOCKS-GOING HOME**

"Should we see if they're okay in there," Andrew asked with a meek smile on his face as he plopped down in the middle of the couch and began a search for the remote.

"Not yet Andrew…they'll probably be in there for awhile…I know…why don't we see if there's anything good on," Dawn replied with a bored frown on her face as she crouched down a bit to stare at some of the oddities that adorned Wesley's apartment before she shrugged her shoulders and plopped down onto the couch, searching for the remote.

"Fine with me…," Andrew reluctantly agreed with a shrug of his shoulders as he plopped down on the couch beside Dawn, sitting near enough so that their shoulders touched but Dawn stayed silent.  "So what do you think they're really doing in there," Andrew asked with a sheepish smile on his face as he looked across Dawn and towards Wesley's bedroom door.

"Probably trying to get Faith up…or sober…how do I know this you're asking yourself…simple, woman's intuition," Dawn replied with a very proud of herself smile on her face before she found the remote and turned the television on.

"You sure it wasn't all of the empty bottles of booze in the kitchen that tipped you off…," Andrew questioned aloud with an amused smirk on his face that quickly disappeared as Dawn glared at him.

"Shut up Andrew…," Dawn grumbled with an unhappy frown on her face as she glared over at Andrew before turning her attention back to the screen, just in time to catch the news.

*                         *                    *                          *                   *                       *

Somehow Jenny and Molly had been able to keep Buffy from sobbing outright long enough so that she at least looked presentable when Spike came home, mumbling something about his boots.  When Buffy had said that she was pregnant again Molly had almost instantly turned into a human pogo stick, bouncing up and down like she hadn't done in some time, not noticing the odd look that Jenny was giving her.  The rest of the afternoon was spent with Buffy holding Joyce tightly and Jenny and Molly trying to calm Buffy down so that when Spike got home he wouldn't go into fits with worry about what was wrong.

"Honey…I'm home…," Spike joked with a happy grin on his face as he poked his head around the door and looked around the apartment for Buffy.

"She's in here," Jenny replied with a cautioned tone of restraint to her voice as she slowly walked around the corner out of the kitchen and pulled an oddly grinning Molly with her.  The young slayer couldn't help but giggle as she passed Spike, giving the former vampire serious goose bumps that something was terribly wrong.

"Buffy…," Spike shouted with an alarmed frown on his face as he swept into the apartment, not even stopping to take his coat off, before he half stormed into the kitchen to find Buffy sitting quietly at the kitchen table, Joyce fussing in her arms.

"Hi…," Buffy softly replied with an almost out of body look on her face as she continued to stare straight ahead at the clock on the counter on the other side of the room.

"What is it luv…what's wrong…," Spike asked now with an almost desperate tinge to his voice as he hurried to Buffy's side and knelt down, his worry only growing at the signs that Buffy had been crying and Joyce's obvious frustration and being held so tightly.

"I should be happy…I should, we're going home soon…we'll see everyone…now I've ruined everything…," Buffy stammered out with an almost shell shocked look on her face as she couldn't look Spike in the eye, not yet.

"Congratulations…," Molly squealed with glee, nearly at the top of her lungs, as she sprinted into the room and jumped up on Spike's back, wrapping her arms tightly around his body as he stood up at her coming in.

"Con…what…Buffy…what the bloody hell is going on here…," Spike questioned softly at first before he couldn't stand it any longer and shouted his demand.

"I'm pregnant…," Buffy whispered softly as she hung her head, so softly in fact that Spike could only half hear what she had said.

"What…," Spike asked with a confused and worried look on his face as he let a worried Molly slide back off of his back.

"She said that she's pregnant Spike, she thinks that it'll hurt our chances of getting home," Jenny stated calmly as she crossed her arms and leaned lightly up against the kitchen doorway, smiling slightly at the look of both shock and utter joy that passed across Spike's face before he found his voice.

"I love you Buffy," Spike stated as plainly and as sincerely as Buffy thought that she had ever heard him before he wrapped his arms around both Buffy and Joyce, pulling the two most important women in his life close to him.  After a few shocked seconds of not fully realizing what was happening Buffy relaxed into Spike's arms, nearly sobbing into his shoulder in relief.  

"Psst…Molly…come on…," Jenny whispered harshly to Molly twice before the young slayer heard her and the two left Buffy and Spike to talk in private.

*                           *                         *                       *                      *                         *

"Shouldn't you go and oh I don't know…check on her," Cordelia asked with a very frustrated and slightly angry glare on her face as she stared a hole through Wesley, who was taking small swigs from a bottle of tequila to dull the throbbing pain in his temples.

"She's a big girl Cordy…she's just experiencing one of the more negative aspects of drinking more than what one should," Wesley replied through a burp as he slowly made his way back towards the bed, walking past the closed bathroom door as inside Faith tried her best to heave her guts out.  Cordelia had acted quickly and turned on and raised the volume up high enough on Wesley's radio so that Dawn and Andrew hopefully wouldn't hear Faith's retching.

"Yeah she's a big girl…right…where were you when she was getting shit-faced and wanting the three of us to have sex…," Cordelia asked with an angry frown on her face as she glared over at Wesley and lightly punched him in the shoulder.

"Guess I must have missed that part…," Wesley replied with a gleeful smile on his face before Cordelia got very angry, grabbed the bottle of tequila away from him and slapped him across the face as hard as she could.  Wesley looked on in wonder for a bit before he shook his head, seemingly snapping himself out of some sort of spell, and said with an embarrassed and confused look on his face, "Thanks…I needed that."

"Anytime Wes…don't you know that's what I'm here for…well that and making sure that you two don't wear the same clothes into work today that you wore out last night with vomit girl in there, now go and take a shower…alone, and then make Faith take one…also alone, I want to see the two of you ready to go to Wolfram and Hart in less than thirty minutes, we all have a big day ahead of us," Cordelia demanded with a very serious and commanding look on her face as she poked Wesley in the chest before he reluctantly nodded his head before disappearing into the bathroom.  "Now all I have to do is get Buffy junior and geek boy out of here before those two come out…," Cordelia trailed off with a deep in though look on her face before she slowly and quietly slipped out of Wesley's bedroom and back into the main room.

"Everything okay in there, Faith's not to hung over is she," Dawn asked with a very nonchalant smile on her face before she couldn't help but giggle a bit as Andrew poked her in the ribs with his thumb.

"No she's…sorry but Faith's not in there, in fact I have absolutely no idea where that…where Faith is, she'll probably waltz in whenever she feels like it…," Cordelia started to affirm Dawn's guess but stopped herself and tried her best to cover her tracks.

"Uh...Cordelia, don't bite my head off or anything…but I'm a geek and will probably be a virgin until the day that I but even I can tell that there was someone else in there…the shirt over in the corner looks like the one that Faith bought last night…Kennedy told me," Andrew stated with a very meek and nervous smile on his face as he kept his gaze fixed on the television screen and not on the shocked look on Cordelia's face.

"Wha…you two turn that thing off and go wait in the limo, I'll be down in a minute," Cordelia said with a very flustered look of panic on her face as she quickly walked up to the television and shut it off before turning back to the two on the couch, emphatically pointing her finger towards the door.  

"Fine…but we're right and you know it, come on Andrew let's go…," Dawn replied, throwing her hands up in defeat, before she looped her arm around Andrew's and drug him first back up to his feet and then out of the apartment.  Cordelia watched the two walk down the hall until they disappeared around the corner, staring oddly at the fact that the two were still arm in arm as they rounded the corner.

*                        *                        *                            *                      *                      *

"Is that the last of it…we didn't forget anything," Buffy asked with a worried look on her face, and a fussing Joyce in her arms, as she stood in the doorway of their apartment.

"That's all of it pet, the only thing that we have left to do is turn the lights out," Spike answered with a somewhat solemn tone to his voice as he unplugged the last of the appliances and stood up.

"Did you check the oven…the iron…the…," Buffy stammered out a pair of flustered questions with a worried look on her face before Spike sighed deeply and interrupted her.

"We don't have a bloody iron Buffy, never did, you always used the one down at the Laundromat and we turned the gas off last week, the oven's been off ever since, we're fine…," Spike interjected with an impatient aura about him as he shut the last of the lights out and shut and locked the front door behind them.  

"I just feel like I'm forgetting something…the car maybe…," Buffy grumbled softly with an absentminded look on her face as she and Spike walked slowly down the hall, Joyce happy now to be moving instead of simply sitting still.  

"Molly's car is in storage, we can pick it up after we get home, and that clunker we got will probably die once it gets us to Noxon, now that we finally know where the bird is," Spike answered with a slightly rushed expression on his face as he and Buffy entered the elevator and Spike pressed the correct button.

"Pretty ironic that she was pretty much right under our noses the entire time…literally," Buffy sighed with a sarcastic frown on her face as she shook her head and noticed by the length of her hair that she hadn't gotten it cut in some time and that it was now hanging down at least to her belt and who knew how much further.

"I hear the sewers are really nice this time of year…," Spike joked, in an attempt to lighten the mood, with his familiar smirk spread upon his face before he and Buffy cracked up into a fit of laughter, a fit that bought them odd looks from both Jenny and Molly when they reached the lobby and the elevator doors opened.

"Oi…what's so funny," Molly demanded with a bored look on her face as she pulled her hair back up into a tight ponytail.  She had wanted to tie her hair into pigtails like she usually did when there was work to be done but she had uncharacteristically slept in and hadn't had time.

"Nothing Molly, Spike was just trying to lighten the mood," Buffy answered with a relieved smile still on her face before she handed Joyce to Jenny, who had in an odd way become like a second mother to her.  Buffy and Jenny still had their moments of uncertainty but those moments had become fewer and fewer as time went on.  

"Did it work," Jenny asked with an almost sad to leave look on her face before she opened up the van's back door and got inside.

"A little…Spike…where's the sword and the spear," Buffy replied softly at first before she hopped up into the vans front passenger seat and turned to Spike, who was in the process of getting into the drivers seat.

"Packed safely away under the seats luv, now are we ready to meet this old bird and have her get us home," Spike answered with a roll of his eyes and frown before he closed his door and slipped the seatbelt on.  

"As ready as we're gonna be…I just wonder what it's going to be like, seeing everyone again…I'm almost eighteen and they'll all still be barely fifteen…," Molly sadly questioned aloud with a worried pout on her face as Spike drove away from the apartment complex and towards the meeting place.

*                         *                         *                       *                        *                      *

"Angel…I demand to know where Wesley is this second," Giles shouted with an impatient frown on his face as he and Robin exited the elevator and caught sight of the vampire.

"Rupert I already told you, I don't keep tabs on my people, Wesley will be here when he gets here, if you want to talk to him make an appointment, he's usually pretty good at meeting his appointments on time," Angel replied with a frustrated sigh and shrug of his shoulders as he stopped walking and turned around to face the two men.

"Or you could just be lying to us and know exactly where he is…," Robin added with a hateful glint in his eye as he glared at Angel.

"I don't have any idea where he is Robin, Wesley said that he had something to take care of last night and that I shouldn't wait up…so I'm not waiting up," Angel reiterated with a suppressed look of anger on his face before he started to walk away again.

"Angel there you are…the team is ready to make their first attempt to open the portal," Knox exclaimed excitedly as he pushed his way through the crowd of people on the catwalk and hurried down the stairs.

"Good…tell them that I'll be there soon to personally oversee everything, now all that I need is…wait where's Cordelia," Angel started to reply with a somewhat happy look on his face before he glanced at the office that he had told Cordy to have and noticed that the door was open.  

"She left early this morning with Dawn and Andrew, about the same time that Sam and I arrived," Riley stated through a slightly painful grimace on his face as he and Sam walked slowly towards the quartet.

"Sorry Angel, the doctor's told him to stay in bed but he…," Sam said as she started to apologize for her husband before Angel shook his head and smiled.

"It's alright Sam, did she say where she was going," Angel asked with a hopeful look on his face as he turned away from Giles and Robin slightly, being glad to talk about something else.

"No…she was concentrating so intently on where she was going that she barely said hello," Riley began with a thoughtful look on his face as he wiped a bit of sweat off of his brow.

"But the young man, Andrew, I did hear him mention something about faith and someone's apartment, does that help you out any," Sam finished with a confused look on her face as she looked first to Riley and then to Angel, hoping that the information helped either of them.

"I knew it, she was with –him- last night, all day she wouldn't tell me where she was going, every time I asked she'd say that she was busy…," Robin declared with a very angry and defiant edge to his voice as he clenched his hands into fists and started to take a step towards Angel.

"As much as you want to think that you do Robin you don't own Faith, if she doesn't want to tell you where she's going or what she's going or even who she's doing it with then that's no concern of yours, just because the two of you slept together a couple of times doesn't entitle you to anything," Angel responded with a very serious and certain look on his face as he turned back and made sure that the son of the dead slayer understood every word that he had to say before turning and walking briskly up the stairs and out of sight.

*                         *                     *                            *                         *                      *

They had found a culvert big enough to back the van into, at least part ways and had continued their journey on foot.  Spike, Buffy, and Molly were dressed in an almost identical manner, with each leaving room for their more individual traits to show.  Spike looked almost the exact same as he had the day that Buffy had gone to ask him about the singing demon with black jeans, boots, black shirt with a red one overtop of it, and finally his trademark duster.  Buffy had thrown on one of Spike's old black shirts and wore her own long and dark duster, a present for Buffy from Spike on Joyce's birth. The rest of her clothes were exactly the same as Spike's with the exception that she had only one shirt on along with more comfortable shoes than boots.  Molly looked almost like a junior Spike, even though instead of a completely black shirt she instead wore a dark blue shirt that she had tucked into her jeans and proudly wore the duster that Spike had gotten her along with the anti vampirism totem that Spike had picked up for her on his trip.  Jenny looked very much the part of just your average bystander in the crowd, blue jeans, light colored shirt, and a warm jacket.

"I know this is going to sound really juvenile…but are we there yet," Molly quipped with a sly grin on her face as she winked at Joyce in her arms and waited for the rebuttal.

"Almost…Noxon should be around here somewhere," Buffy replied with a sarcastic scowl on her face as she looked back and Molly and her daughter.  Molly had insisted on carrying Joyce even before they had left the apartment.

"You may stop now…I am here," An odd voice called out of the darkness, causing everyone to stop in their tracks and search the darkness for any signs of anything.

"Who's there, show yourself," Buffy demanded with a shaky tone of anger in her voice as she cast a quick look back to Joyce to make sure that she was okay.

"I am she that which you seek, the one that you have been told about by the demon Whistler…I…am Noxon," The voice said as it came out of the darkness before a single candle was lit and Buffy and the others got their first look at the one that would send them home. From the dim light of the single candle all that they could see was someone lost in a sea of red robes, with only the slightest traces of a nose, an eyelash, illuminated by the light from the candle.

"We have everything that Whistler said that we should have, so what do we do now…," Spike asked with a cautious tone to his voice as his hand went to the dagger that he had slipped into his belt after getting out of the van.

"Put away your weapon former vampire, I mean you no harm, go back to your vehicle and wait, when the portal opens drive through it and don't look back, that is all…," Noxon stated without a hint of anger in her voice as Spike grinned an embarrassed grin before he shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay…but…," Buffy started to say with still a not completely convinced look on her face before Noxon suddenly blew the candle out.

"I think that's our cue to leave pet," Spike said with a slightly nervous hint to his voice as he clasped his hand with Buffy's and the two followed Jenny and Molly back out of the tunnels, with everyone throwing a cautious glance back behind them along the way.

"What should we do once we get back, should we go to Angel right away…," Molly asked with a slightly scared and confused look on her face as she snapped Joyce into her car seat.

"We make sure that we've truly made it back…then we go check on Angel and the others…I can't wait to see the looks on their faces…," Buffy replied softly with a nervous but optimistic smile on her face before a large portal appeared in front of them, complete with a swirling blue smoke and bouts of lightning.

"Looks like it's time," Jenny called out from the back as she reached her hand up and pointed towards the portal, getting a nod from Spike and Buffy before the former gunned the engine and took off through the portal.

"They're gone, it's safe for us to come out now," Whistler whispered with a happy smile on his face as he and Noxon slowly walked out of the culvert and stared at the disturbed area of the path where the portal had been.

"They have a very challenging road ahead of them, I only hope that they're strong enough to complete it," Noxon interjected with a concerned expression on her face as she stared up into the sky.

"They will survive…they have to…Willow…," Whistler said softly with a restrained look of optimism on his face before he realized his mistake and prepared for the worst.

"I told you never to call me that again; I left Willow behind decades ago after Kennedy died…," Noxon said harshly with a pained look on her face before she turned around and slowly made her way back into the culvert. 

END OF CHAPTER 22


	23. Face To Face

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce and Noxon.**

**CHAPTER 23-FACE TO FACE**

Faith and Wesley had taken slightly more than thirty minutes to assemble in Wesley's living room fully ready to make the trek back to Wolfram and Hart.  Cordelia had waited impatiently for the two lovers to emerge from the bedroom, half expecting to have to go into the bedroom and actually physically pull them out of it.  Faith came out first, messing with her hair with one hand while trying to button up one of Wesley's smallest shirts with the other.  Cordelia didn't even want to fathom why Wesley had clothes small enough to fit Faith and so because of this she quickly moved on to Wesley, who almost staggered out of the bedroom with a pained grimace on his face and a casual looking pair of khakis and, like Faith, and open in the front button up shirt.  Although Cordelia found herself wondering still if Faith had stored some clothes at Wesley's apartment earlier in the night because she could have sworn the bra that Wesley had quickly shoved deep into his pocket had been black, and the one that Faith now wore was red.

"Aren't you two ready yet," Cordelia moaned with an impatient stomp of her foot as she pursed her lips and glared lightly at the two.

"Give us a minute C, these things take time ya know," Faith softly growled back with an angry frown on her face before she winced in pain as she was still a bit drunk and only beginning to hit her hangover.

"It would help matters as well if you didn't yell so loud Cordelia," Wesley added with a tired yawn as he began to button up his shirt.

"I am not yelling Wesley…THIS IS YELLING…see the difference," Cordelia responded softly at first before she actually shouted for a bit before quieting down and laughing at Wesley and Faith's harsh and pain filled reactions.

"Yes…," Wesley replied with a pained look on his face as he pinched his nose and took a deep breath.

"Please don't do that again," Faith stuttered out in between aborted attempts to try to correctly button up her shirt, but her hair kept getting in the way.

"Here Faith, let me…," Wesley whispered softly, with a touch of humor in his voice, as he walked around in front of Faith and unbuttoned a few buttons before he aligned the buttons properly and began again.

"Thanks…stupid hair," Faith muttered with an annoyed and slightly embarrassed smile on her face as she pulled her hair back and watched Wesley button up her shirt.  Cordelia watched the two with a rapt interest.  She vividly remembered what Wesley had looked like the night that she had driven him to the hospital after Faith had spent the better part of that same night trying to make him scream and beg for mercy.  She remembered the haunted look in his eyes and the listless tilt to his step.  But looking at him now, helping button up Faith's shirt, he looked nothing like he had that night.  His hands no longer shook at being in such close of contact to the slayer that had nearly been his death, instead they appeared gentle and reassuring as Cordelia caught site of the dark slayers almost timid eyes flitter back and forth between Wesley's face and his hands slipping the small piece of formed plastic through its corresponding slot in the other side of the shirt.  Once Cordelia saw Wesley miss the hole and pull a hand back to rub his eyes.  She would have laughed at the gesture had Faith and Wesley not picked up the slack and done it for her.  The laugh was not one of girlish or childish glee but of contentment and trust. Wesley's next attempt succeeded and he quickly finished the rest of the buttons off and stood back up and smiled as Faith tucked her shirt in while trying to keep her hair out of her eyes.

"Could you two be any more obvious…," Cordelia mumbled with a sarcastic smile on her face as she crossed her arms, shifted her weight from one foot to the other, and shook her head.

"Give it a rest Cordelia would you please…," Wesley returned softly with a hint of aggravation in his voice, with his gaze set firmly on the former cheerleader, as Faith took the opening and tucked Wesley's shirt in for him, the playful smile on her face widening every time her hand slipped beneath the waistband of his khakis.

"Alright children, keep the hands where I can see em…otherwise I'll make you ride back with Andrew," Cordelia said with an impatient look of annoyance on her face as she tapped her foot and glared at the pair.

"Relax Cor…it's not like we're going to go at it right here and now…no matter how much we're tempted to…," Faith returned with a fake pout of hurt on her face as she reluctantly pulled her hands back to her sides and slipped them into her pockets.

"Thank you Faith, for giving me yet another mental image that I could easily live without ever possessing," Cordelia moaned softly as she rolled her eyes and shook her head, trying her best to remain calm and not get into a war or words with Faith, at least not until she'd had some coffee.

"What do we do about Dawn and Andrew, we can't let them see Faith and I together just yet…," Wesley asked with a concerned frown on his face as he rubbed a hand along his cheek and made a mental note to shave the next opportunity that he got.

"You can ride with me and the gruesome twosome in the limo while Faith hitches around in one of the other cars, I'll distract them long enough for Faith to jump in and we'll be off, granting that those two haven't done something that I'd have to kill them for…," Cordelia stated with a very pessimistic look on her face before she turned around and flung the door open before walking out of Wesley's apartment and around the corner.

"I'm thinking that she wants us to follow her…," Faith guessed aloud with an odd smirk on her face after she and Wesley stared at the empty doorway for a few seconds.

"That sounds good," Wesley chipped in through a tired yawn before he ever so politely bowed to Faith to invite her to go first.  Faith's only response was to shake her head with an amused grin on her face before she headed out of Wesley's apartment.  The two followed Cordelia down to street level quickly enough but Faith held back when they got to the front doors, not wanting Dawn and Andrew to see her.  Mere seconds before Cordelia took him by the arm and dragged him out into the murky gray of the day Wesley leaned in and captured Faith's lips with his own in a kiss that left Faith wish that they didn't have to leave so soon.

"Okay you two…you'd better not have…," Cordelia started to say with a bored frown on her face before stopping to listen to something.

"I swear they must be related somehow," Andrew exclaimed from within the limo, a statement that caused Wesley and Cordelia to stop and look on in wonderment.  

"What…you're insane Andrew…there's no way," Dawn's voice quickly followed, filling in the counterpoint to whatever point the nerd was trying to make.

"Yes they are…Klingons and vampires must be related somehow, the forehead ridges and sharp teeth are proof…," Andrew started to state back in defense of his argument before a feminine shriek was heard from inside the limo, along with sounds of a scuffle.

"Shouldn't we…," Wesley asked with a perplexed frown on his face as he looked first to the limo and then back to Cordelia, who looked about ready to blow her top.

"Alright you two…what the hell is…," Cordelia growled with an angry scowl on her face before she ripped open the door and nearly gasped at the sight that greeted her.  Andrew and Dawn were in the midst of an ill timed wrestling match, with Dawn clutching a handful off Andrew's hair and the nerd's one hand on Dawn's arm in a feeble attempt to get her to let go while the other hand Cordelia could only guess at its location.

"Having fun," Wesley asked with a short chuckle as he slipped in by the two startled teens, affording the two time to try to compose themselves if they could.  He wasn't even going to ask why he caught site of Andrew's once hidden hand being quickly pulled out from under Dawn's shirt and her rather embarrassed face.

*                     *                          *                       *                    *                   *

"Well…did it work…are we back," Jenny cautioned softly with a nervous tenor to her voice as she looked around in a quick check to make sure that everyone was still present and accounted for.

"I…I think so…everybody okay…," Buffy stated softly before she instantly reached over and grabbed Spike's arm, her smile widening as he smiled back and pulled her into a congratulatory kiss.

"Hey…some of us are trying to keep our bloody lunches in our stomachs…," Molly exclaimed with a look of fake disgust on her face as she made a sick face and tried to hide her smile.

"Buffy…Spike…look…we're here," Jenny said with a happy tone to her voice as she pointed out a sign in front of them.

"Los Angeles California, next five exits…well at least we're in the right place, but how do we know that we're in the right time," Buffy stated with a half sigh of relief as she smiled and read the sign aloud.

"Well let's find out shall we…onward to LA pops," Molly joked with a sneaky but playful smile on her face as she spurred the van on.  While on the way to Los Angeles Buffy tried to pick up any radio station that would tell them the date, but stopped when she noticed as they got closer to the city the sky grew steadily darker.

"Yep…home sweet hell…," Spike quipped with an amused grin on his face before his countenance sobered at the sight of the condition of the city.

"Angel and the others must really have their hands full trying to keep the peace," Molly observed with a scared look on her face as she reached down and loosened the ties that bound the two sacred weapons together.  After gaining them Molly had spent the remaining time training nearly day and night with the spear while Buffy had helped Spike get the feel for the sword, which was almost exactly like the scythe except the obvious differences between a sword and a scythe.  

"We should go to them immediately instead of finding somewhere safe and sticking to the plan," Jenny said with an imminent look of worried foreboding on her face as she leaned back in her chair and took in some more of the scenery.  Unlike when they had left the streets of Los Angeles had now been overrun with vampires and almost every manner of demons and deities known to man.  Spike was forced to keep his attention focused entirely on the road to keep from running over the carcasses of what looked liked a small pack of Fyarl demons.

"Wait Spike…stop here…there's something that I want…I mean we need to do here before we go to see Angel," Buffy shouted loudly, an act that nearly caused Spike to steer the old van straight into an electric pole, as she pointed to an old brick building that they were starting to pass by.

"Why…what's so important about…oh…," Spike started to ask with a very angry tone to his voice before his gaze met Buffy's and he all at once understood.

*                       *                           *                        *                         *                      *

"This had better be good Cordelia…I've got Giles and Robin breathing down my neck trying to find Wesley and Faith and I have to get to the Hyperion to open the portal to try to get Buffy and the others back," Angel said with an overwhelmed look on his face as he sat behind his desk, furiously scribbling away in his day planner. 

"Well I got some bad news…and some worse news…which do you want first," Cordelia almost whimpered back her reply with a hesitant frown on her face as she took a seat in front of Angel's desk and straightened out a crease in her jeans.

"Does it really matter…," Angel started to ask softly before he let his voice trail off as he leaned back in his chair and prepared for the worst.

"Well, yeah kinda…okay no not really, look Angel it's like this Wesley and Faith wasn't just a one time deal, they went out last night and did things that even I don't want to think about…and that's the bad news…," Cordelia replied with a nervous look on her face while she looked everywhere around the room but into contact with Angels gaze.

"And what's the worse news…," Angel dared to ask with a hesitant expression on his face before he dropped his head into his hands in frustration. 

"Believe me Angel…it gets worse, I'm afraid that Buffy's going to hate you when she gets back for letting her little sister fall in love with the king of the nerds," Cordelia answered with a worried look of panic on her face as she angrily rubbed a dry patch of skin on her arm.  

"Dawn and…Andrew…no, wait, you're wrong, I didn't…let…her fall in love with anyone, and how do you know that she's fallen in love with him, you've been wrong before," Angel stammered out in his defense with a flustered expression on his face as he tried to use hand gestures to further defend his point of view.

"Yeah well let's hope I'm wrong now, because if I'm not then there's going to be trouble, on top of the scourge coming to kill us and the Beast and…," Cordelia joked sarcastically with a nervous frown on her face before Angel stood up and interrupted.

"Alright already Cordy…I get the point, where are Wesley and Faith now," Angel interjected with a frustrated expression on his face as he gazed sadly out of the window.

"They're in his office, hopefully not doing anything that I'm going to make them regret later," Cordelia replied with a nervous and hesitant frown on her face as she leaned back in her seat and looked up at Angel.

"Do Giles and Robin know that they're here," Angel asked softly, without taking his gaze off of the window and the apocalypse that was in its early stages occurring outside.

"I don't think so…not yet, because when I came up here they were still standing around in the lobby," Cordelia replied with a nervous frown on her face before she stood up and walked over to Angel, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"They're not going to be happy when they find out what Wes and Faith were doing last night you know…," Angel muttered softly with a somewhat worried look on his face as he turned his head to look back at Cordelia.

"Yeah…I know, but as strange as all of this is Wesley and Faith are adults…one more than the other I'll admit but…neither one of us is in any position to tell them who they can and who they can't be with…so if they make each other happy then I'm okay with them being together, but we shouldn't keep them waiting to long because you need to get back to the Hyperion and get Buffy back before the Scourge and the Beast attack us while I try to get Wesley and Giles to have their little conversation without anything going wrong and just hope that Faith can explain the situation to Robin without setting him off…," Cordelia added with a sincere look of frustration on her face as she gave Angel a one armed hug and laid her head on his shoulder, quietly smiling as she felt him slip an arm around her waist and return the act of affection.

*                   *                            *                           *                         *                          *

Molly quickly skipped her way through the clogged city streets on her way to the Hyperion.  When Buffy had wanted to make the stop earlier Molly had been the first to fully realize her reasoning's.  When the quintet walked back out of the courthouse Elizabeth Ann Summers had become Elizabeth Ann Wilmington, with Spike and Buffy both using the faked papers that they had used many times before in the past, and Molly serving as the witness since Jenny was still technically dead.  Molly had started to get back into the van but Spike had stopped her and rummaged under the seat for a bit before he produced the spear and handed it to her.  When she and Buffy had asked what he was doing Spike had answered that he had an uncanny feeling that their friends would need help sooner rather than later and at least one of them should go.  Molly had reluctantly agreed and quickly pulled the curtains over the windows in the van and pulled out her special bag.  Inside she found the clothes that she had been saving for more than a month.  When she had stepped out of the van a few minutes later she looked the part of a death dealer.  Dressed from head to toe in black, very much imitating the look that Spike had worn so well years earlier the first night that Buffy had come face to face with him.  With a deep sigh she looped the strap of her favorite satchel over her head letting it come to a rest on her right hip, before she took the spear back from Buffy and headed out.  After she had left Buffy had jumped back into the driver's seat and soon the three were back on the road to finding a hotel.

"Why did Buffy have to pick a courthouse so far away…," Molly grumbled to herself with a nervous and frustrated scowl on her face as she quickly crawled overtop of an overturned car.  Her trek through the city lasted almost thirty more minutes before she kicked in a locked door and raced up the stairs before she took position on the far corner of the roof.  From her vantage point she could see the courtyard of what she had guessed was the Hyperion, buzzing with activity.  Fishing her half sized binoculars out of her satchel Molly knelt down as close to the edge as she could and trained her sights on the courtyard.  The first person that she sharpened into focus on made her heart leap with joy.  Over the course of the three years in the past Buffy, Spike, and Jenny had gone on and on about stories of their pasts, describing in vivid detail the Scooby gang and those that Angel had assumed the leadership of.  From the slightly fuzzy look that she got through the binoculars Molly guessed that she had spotted Angel.  When Buffy had talked about Angel she had often gotten a long and far off look of nostalgia in her eye, as if remembering the happy times.  But almost to a fault every one of those times Buffy had just as quickly changed her expression to one of anger and bitterness.  The few times that Molly had asked about the sudden and dramatic change Buffy had almost bitten her head off.  She had ended up turning to Spike to get more of the answers, as she was forced to because for most of the time spent in the past every time she brought up Angel's name Jenny would try to change the subject as quickly as she could.  Over those years Molly had finally learned enough about Angel to know why Buffy had initially fallen hopelessly in love with him while at the same time come to later move past him and try to put aside the terrors that he had perpetrated in his earlier years.  Spike had admitted many an atrocity to Molly over the years, with some of those admissions his look had barely changed, but with others the grief and self loathing had washed off of the former vampire as if he had bathed in the emotions themselves.  She would have continued to bask in her memories of the past if she hadn't spotted movement in an alley a block away.  Training her binoculars on the alley Molly's heart went from skipping a beat to almost stopping in an instant.  

"Bloody hell…they're here…," Molly gasped out in shock before she slammed her binoculars back into her satchel and was off back down the stairs.

END OF CHAPTER 23


	24. Reconnecting With The Past

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I made like Joyce and Noxon. **

**CHAPTER 24-RECONNECTING WITH THE PAST**

Well oiled military books loudly clicked against the hard stones of the sidewalk as they marched, four wide and five deep, roaring torches held by the front of the column to light their path.  The Scourge were not known for their subtlety, or mercy.  They carried no weapons, other than their hatred for anything not fully demon, because they themselves were the weapons.  They were instruments of a self induced holy war, fervently intent on achieving their genocidal goals no matter the cost.  Their methods were that of the darkest nightmares and stories told around the campfire to terrify the young at heart and elders alike, human and otherwise.  

Molly had heard a few of the stories about The Scourge during her time spent in the past.  The subject hadn't come up until one night during a seemingly routine patrol with Spike the two had come across a dead body that at first Molly had thought was of as a victim of one of the demons that they were tracking.  But upon closer inspection she had nearly fallen over her own feet at the image that lay in front of her.  To her the body looked like a failed experiment of the insanely mad Dr. Frankenstein from the novel that she had read a couple of years earlier.  She had been about to poke the body before Spike had rushed up, his face paling whiter than a sheet at the sight of what lie on the ground, before he had rudely grabbed her arm and the two soon found themselves being forced to steal a motorcycle to get away from their pursuers.  After they had successfully disposed of the motorcycle Molly had begged to know what they had run from but Spike had at first been very insistent that she let the subject drop and to never speak of it again.  Never being one to fully listen to her elders Molly had threatened to tell Buffy some of the secrets that the two kept just between them before Spike had relented and explained to her all, or at least as much as he knew, about The Scourge.  She had learned enough that night to know to take The Scourge very seriously no matter how few of them she came into contact with.  Her heart raced in her chest as she tore down the stairs, hoping against her inner demons of negativity that she would be able to reach those at the Hyperion in time to warn them of the danger ahead.

*                        *                          *                        *                         *                       *

"Where is he…," Angel demanded with a frustrated and impatient scowl on his face as he looked around the courtyard searching for any signs of the former watcher.

"I don't know…he was here just a second ago," Kennedy replied with a bored frown on her face as she kept her gaze transfixed on Willow, who was busy talking to one of the female members of the science team that was preparing to open the portal.

"Where do you think he is…trying to hide from Giles and Robin, God I swear those two are like pit bulls when…what…Angel, what is it, what's wrong," Cordelia started to reply with a sarcastic smirk on her face before Angel turned away and tilted his head back, taking a deep breath in the process.

"Damn…everyone inside NOW," Angel growled with a very nervous and uneasy frown on his face before he shouted to everyone in the courtyard and pointed towards the Hyperion's front doors.

"Why…Angel what…oh shit they're here," Cordelia started to ask with a confused and somewhat angry look on her face before she caught sight of the torchlight and it struck a chord in her memory.

"Who is it Cordelia, what's coming," Kennedy asked with a very serious frown on her face as Willow rushed to her side.

"The Scourge…now all of you, get inside…," Angel interrupted with an angry glare on his face as he rushed to the gate.

"Oh no you don't pal, the last time we fought these bastards it took Doyle sacrificing himself to save us…I'm not going to let you…," Cordelia started to shout with a defiant frown on her face as she began to take a step towards Angel but stopped when she was interrupted from above.

"Just do what he said and get back inside, this isn't your fight lady," Molly stated bluntly with a nervous look on her face as she looked down at first Cordelia and then Angel from her spot atop the wall that encircled the Hyperion.

"Who are you," Kennedy shouted with an alarmed look on her face as she got in front of Willow and took up a defensive stance.

"Still a bitch eh Kennedy," Molly quipped with a sly smirk on her face before she stood up and flipped off of the wall and landed beside Angel.

"What did you," Angel started to growl with a very angry expression on his face before Molly held her hand up and stopped him.

"Don't get all tetchy now Angel, the Scourge are coming and you and I are the only ones here that can fight them so let's stop it with the bloody twenty questions alright…you're worse than Mr. Giles was when I first met him in London…," Molly stated with a hurried edge to her voice as she slipped the spear from its sheath and tested its weight in her hands.

"When he first met you in London…wait…Molly…," Kennedy started to ramble softly to herself before she spoke the missing new slayers name loudly enough to catch Molly's attention.

"Took you long enough, yeah it's me…look I'll explain later just get inside will you…," Molly replied with a half smile on her face as she turned her head to look across the courtyard at Kennedy.

"Buffy…tell me…is she here…is she okay…where is she, tell me damn you," Angel demanded with a very threatening tone to his voice as he grabbed Molly's arm and made the young slayer look him in the eye.

"Let go of me…you're going to have to watch that language of yours around Joyce you know," Molly shouted with an angry and slightly pained expression on her face as she tore her arm back out of Angel's grasp and took a step back.

"Watch my…wait who's Joyce," Angel asked with a confused look on his face as he started to take a step towards Molly but stopped when she raised the tip of the spear.

"You'll find out…bloody hell…here they come," Molly started to reply with a casual smirk on her face before she spun around as the commandant in front turned the corner and came into view.

*                     *                          *                         *                       *                           *

"I didn't think that it'd get this bad…," Buffy gasped out softly with a shocked look on her face as she kept her nose to the van's window and gazed at the sights.

"It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better luv…we both know it, that's why we're here, we're going to help Angel put a stop to this hell on earth," Spike said with a very serious frown on his face before he pulled the van into its parking space in front of their hotel room.  

"Are the two of you going right away," Jenny asked from the back seat as she leaned down to retrieve a toy that Joyce had flung away in a fit moments before.

"I am…you and Buffy and Joyce are going to stay here and wait for me to call you…we'll think of the rest later," Spike answered with a very serious look on his face as he unbuckled his seat belt, an act that he had almost never done as a vampire but now felt compelled to do it out of his love for Joyce and the want to see her grow up.

"But shouldn't you both go and…," Jenny started to ask with a half confused look on her face before Buffy broke in and interrupted her.

"We can't both go because one of us has to stay with you and Joyce at all times, or at least until we get in touch with Angel and Giles, then we'll stay in the Hyperion with them," Buffy interjected with a serious look on her face as she got out and took Joyce from Jenny.

"We will…all of us…," Jenny asked with a noticeable stutter in her voice as she climbed out of the van.

"Don't worry Ms. Calendar, Angel won't try anything…I won't let him," Spike jumped in with a very serious and hopefully reassuring tone to his voice as he got out and started to unpack the van.

"Me either…and as long as Spike gets there quickly enough we can get the introductions out of the way quickly…wait…Spike where's Mr. Fribble…," Buffy added with a frustrated frown on her face as she pulled a couple of bags out of the back of the van.

"He's in your blue bag," Spike answered with a nonchalant look on his face as he hefted the heaviest of the suitcases out of the back of the van and set it down at his side.

"No he's not, I checked yesterday…," Buffy said with a very certain look on her face as she crossed her arms and looked to Spike.

"But I remember putting him in…bloody hell," Spike started to argue back before he threw his head back and stared up into the sky, growling something angrily to himself.

"I told you we forgot something…," Buffy stated with an almost mocking tone to her voice before she grabbed one of the suitcases with her free hand and walked away towards their hotel room.

*                         *                         *                            *                      *                          *

As they had prepared to make the trip back to the present Molly had gone over in her mind hundreds of times the fight with the Scourge that she knew was coming.  Most of those times she had come out the victor and had done pretty well in the fight, but those had all been in her mind. Reality however was proving to be an entirely different monster in and of itself.  The Scourge had struck quickly and with a force that Molly had previously not encountered.  Kennedy had pushed Willow back inside the hotel before almost throwing Cordelia in after her.  She had been about to follow when one of the demons had gotten to close and she had turned to confront him.  Angel had quickly let go of his fears and slipped into his game face and attacked with a vengeance, using the memories of losing Doyle to the machinations of the Scourge as a weapon.  Wielding the spear with deadly accuracy Molly had for the most part been able to hold her own, killing two of the Scourge early in the fight.  After that the rest had seemingly figured out that there was something odd and special about the spear that Molly wielded and changed their plan of attack against her.  Molly was rudely snapped out of her momentary lapse into memories when two of the Scourge grabbed her from behind and threw her across the courtyard and into the wall.  Upon meeting the ground with a sickening thud Molly grimaced at the tightness in her chest and dreaded silently that at least one of her ribs was broken.  When she coughed up some blood only seconds later her initial fears seemed more valid.  Angel too seemed to have lost some of his vigor after a few early kills and was starting to falter.  Kennedy hadn't managed as well and when Molly had been thrown into the wall she was frantically trying to kick out of the hold of one of the bigger members of the Scourge that had his hands encircling her neck and trying to strangle her.

"Willow, they're getting killed out there," Cordelia shouted with a frantic look on her face before Faith came flying down the stairs, scythe in hand, followed behind by a gun toting Wesley.

"Out of our way," Faith shouted with an almost frantic look on her face as she and Wesley got to the front doors.

"I have to help Kennedy," Willow exclaimed with a very worried look on her face as she started to open the front doors.  

"Stay here Willow," Wesley shouted, before Faith could, before the two were out of the Hyperion and out into the fray.  Wesley instantly began firing at anything that moved, being careful to not hit Angel or Molly, who by this time was slowly getting back to her feet.  Faith though rushed to Kennedy's defense, burying the scythe's blade into the back of the demons back that was strangling her.  Kennedy gasped out several desperate breaths as she slid to the ground before Faith yanked the scythe free and used it first to block a punch by one of the Scourge before then swing it in an underhanded motion and slicing that Scourge's chest and face open.  Angel used Wesley and Faith's entering the fight to catch his breath, so to speak, and try to take the fight to the Scourge instead of trying to fend them off.  Even though their original number had been cut in half the remaining Scourge kept fighting with the same level of zeal that they had possessed when the fight had first begun.

"Molly…are you," Angel shouted over the fight before he stopped at the odd sound of someone honking their horn.  One of the Scourge stopped from attacking Angel and ran out into the street, only to be run over moments later by an old and well traveled van. Two of the other Scourge saw their comrade get mowed down and rushed out to kill whoever was driving the van.  

"Who dares," One of the Scourge shouted more as a declaration of intent rather than a real question as it got to the van and ripped the passenger door open.

"That'd be me," Spike declared with a triumphant smile on his face before he climbed over the seat and slammed his boot into the jaw of the closest Scourge, causing it to go staggering backwards and knock the other to the ground. Before either could get up Spike leapt from the van, drew the sword, and drove its point first through the top Scourge and then the bottom one, killing them both.  

"Spike…," Angel said with a shocked and confused look on his face as he caught a momentary break in the action and stared out into the street.

"Miss me…," Spike quipped with a cocky grin on his face before he spun around and finished off the Scourge that he had hit with the van, slicing its neck open from ear to ear.  Angel began to ask another question but was stopped abruptly by a fist slamming into his jaw.  

"Spike," Molly screamed through the pain in her chest before she was forced to use the spear as a crutch to keep herself from collapsing to the ground.

"Molly…don't worry pet I'm coming," Spike shouted back with an alarmed expression on his face as he rushed into the courtyard and cut a swath through the remaining Scourge.  He got to Molly just as Faith lopped off the head of the Scourge nearest to her and Wesley plugged the two fighting Angel with a bullet to the back of the head.

"I don't feel so good," Molly mumbled out through gritted teeth before she started to double over in pain.  Spike acted quickly enough and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Easy…I've got you," Spike rushed out with a worried look on his face as he slowly knelt down with Molly in his arms and turned her so that she was facing him.

"I think…my ribs hurt…," Molly began to say before wincing badly in pain and coughing up a bit of blood.

"That's what you get for being reckless luv," Spike joked back with a scared look on his face as he gently laid a hand on Molly's side, taking it off like he had touched fire when she hissed in pain.

"Angel, are you okay," Faith asked with a confused look on her face as she helped Angel back up to his feet and stared across the courtyard at Spike and Molly.

"Yeah Faith, I'm fine…are you okay," Angel replied with a thick look of concern on his face as he brushed some of the dirt off of his coat while Wesley hurried to kneel down beside Spike and Molly.

"I'm fine but she's not," Faith answered with a grim look of concern on her face as she turned her gaze from the stone cold look on Angel's face to the young slayer cradled in the arms of the former vampire.

"I…I'm fine Spike…really, I just need a good nights sleep and my bloody slayer healing to kick in," Molly stammered out over short gulps of air punctuated with a painful grimace each time.  

"Spike," Angel asked softly with a confused look on his face and well hidden tone of relief in his voice as he started to walk towards his former grandchilde.

"Not now Peaches, can't you see that Molly's hurt, the interrogation will have to wait until later I'm afraid, you need to tend to the flock while I get this one some help," Spike growled with an annoyed and worried look on his face as he picked Molly up in his arms and stood up before he started to make his way back towards the Hyperion's gate, but not before grabbing the spear and handing it to Molly.

"Stop Spike, I'm not letting you go anywhere until you tell me where she is…," Angel demanded with a very aggressive edge to his voice as he jumped into the gate and barred Spike from leaving.

"Now's not the time to get jealous ya bloody wanker, you lost that opportunity years ago, now get out of my way before I'm forced to hurt you," Spike shot back with a very impatient and angry scowl on his face as he and Angel seemed to be dead set on staring each other down.

"I'd like to see you try…," Angel growled back, slipping his game face on, as he started to take a step forward but stopped when Faith spoke up.

"Let him go Angel…if these two are back then B's probably back to, think about it," Faith exclaimed with a serious look on her face as she walked over to Wesley and helped him back to his feet.

"But…," Angel debated with an unhappy frown on his face as he wasn't entirely ready to let Spike go just yet, especially with how heavily Buffy's scent was intermixed with his former grandchilde's. 

"Get out of the way Angel, you'll see Buffy soon enough, and trust me when I say that we'll all have plenty to talk about, but right now I need to…," Spike started to say with a very serious expression on his face before Angel surprised him and moved out of the way.

"Fine Spike, but you'd better not be lying to me," Angel declared with a thinly veiled threat in the tone of his voice before Spike stepped back out into the street and gently placed Molly back into the van, throwing the spear in the back.

"I don't lie when it comes to Buffy Peaches, you should know that, especially not since Joyce…," Spike started to yell back at Angel before Molly interrupted by collapsing back into her seat in a fit of violent coughing.  Angel started to reply but by the time that he got out to the street Spike was already speeding away in the smashed up van.

"This was all too easy, Angel the way that you described the Scourge they sounded to be much stronger than this," Wesley mused with a very deep in thought and nervous look on his face as he studied the bodies.

"Maybe these were the newbie's…," Kennedy offered up with a slightly sickly look on her face as she gingerly rubbed her neck before not getting an answer and walking into the Hyperion to find Willow.

"No…these weren't new recruits…something's wrong here…that spear that Molly had seemed to take care of them a little to easily…," Angel trailed off with a confused and somewhat worried look on his face as he paced back and forth amongst the bodies.

"Almost like the scythe…," Faith added with a confused look on her face as she cocked an eyebrow and stared at the scythe, hopeful that the answers to all of their questions would soon be forthcoming.

END OF CHAPTER 24


	25. When Rupert Met Jenny

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce.**

**CHAPTER 25-WHEN RUPERT MET JENNY**

Spike burst through the front door, carrying a coughing Molly in his arms.  Jenny had just come out of the shower and dove back in to avoid Spike's hurried rush to the first open bed that he saw while Buffy jerked upright in her chair. During the ride home the young slayer had seemingly been on a seesaw in terms of her condition.  At times she had looked like she was back in control and calm.  But mere seconds later she'd almost collapse into another fit of violent coughing.  Spike had been about to wish to himself that he were a cold heartless vampire again, rather than half to stand by and watch and listen to Molly's pain, when he had pulled the damaged van back into the hotel's parking lot.  Molly had managed to slip out of her seatbelt and open her door through the pain before she had collapsed into Spike's arms the moment that the door opened.

"Sp…Molly," Buffy started to ask with a confused and shocked look on her face before her face went white at the sight of the injured slayer in Spike's arms.

"What happened," Jenny asked with a very worried look on her face as she rushed back into the bathroom for the first aid kit that she had set there along with her suitcase.

"We fought the Scourge and the Scourge won…," Spike replied with a deadly serious look on his face as he carefully laid Molly down on the bed and helped Buffy to gently pull her duster off and lay it on a chair nearby.  

"Angel…," Buffy asked with a slightly skipping of her heart before Spike Molly interrupted with a fit of coughing.

"Peaches is fine Buffy, Molly here's the only one that got hurt," Spike answered with a grim frown on his face as he quickly untied Molly's boots and pulled them off before sliding them off of the rest of the bed as Buffy started to lift Molly's shirt up a bit to check for blood.

"Outside Spike, now…Buffy and I can handle this…," Jenny announced with a very determined expression on her face as she came back into the room carrying several towels thrown over her shoulder and an ice cream bucket full of warm water.

"But…," Spike started to protest with a slightly hurt look in his eyes before he realized that he was beaten and turned around and walked out of the hotel room, leaving Buffy and Jenny to tend to Molly.

*                            *                       *                    *                      *                        *

"It was really her…are you sure Kennedy," Giles asked with an unconvinced frown on his face as he paced back and forth in front of the circular sofa in the Hyperion's lobby. 

"Yes Giles I…," Kennedy started to reply with an angry scowl on her face, and a nervous hand gingerly brushing the bruises on her neck, before she became frustrated at Giles' disbelief and closed her mouth.

"It was her Giles…I'm sure of it…Spike even…," Angel added with a stern and thoughtful scowl on his face as he leaned up against the counter and pretended to find one of Cordelia's hair clips interesting.

"Spike was here," Dawn jumped in with an excited and happy smile on her face as she pushed away from the stairs and walked towards Angel.

"He showed up at the end, mowed down a couple of the Scourge with a van before he picked Molly up and left," Kennedy replied for Angel with a confused look on her face as she turned her head to face Dawn.

"But there seemed to be something…different about him…did he seem older to you," Faith asked with a deep in thought frown etched on her face as she slowly paced first by Robin and then by Wesley.

"He did seem to be a bit slower than I remember him being…but other than that…," Angel started to say with a contemplative expression on his face before everyone's attention was caught up by the sound of the Hyperion's front doors opening and closing.

"It's not the portal jumping people, it's the mileage," Lindsey joked with an odd smirk on his face as a shorter blonde woman at his side crossed her arms and took in those assembled with a look of disdain on her face.

*                        *                            *                       *                      *                          *

"Feeling any better," Spike asked softly as he turned to Molly, who sat gingerly next to him on the bench outside of their room.

"A little…don't think that my ribs are done healing yet, glad I don't have to wait weeks for them to get done…," Molly replied with a pained smile on her face as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"You'll be back to normal before you know it Bit, you'll need to be when we visit Angel again," Spike added with a sincere smile on his face as he slipped an arm around Molly's shoulders and carefully drew her close, with her head resting on his shoulder.

"You never did tell me why you two don't get along so well…I mean other than you both being in love with Buffy and all," Molly asked with a tired yawn as Spike leaned his head back and stared up at the overhang.

"He always loved to take what I had, it didn't really matter what it was but the moment he knew that I had something that I coveted he'd do his best to make sure that it was soon his, it all started with Drusilla…," Spike answered softly with a faraway look in his eyes as a contemplative smile crept upon his face.

"Speaking of her…you never did tell me how she killed that slayer…what was her name again…Kendy…Kiki…," Molly asked with a calm look on her face as she watched a lone car drive by their hotel and disappear around a far corner.

"Kendra, her name was Kendra pet, you see Dru had the ability to enthrall people, really didn't matter about their gender, Dru enthralled Kendra long enough to snap her neck, for a long time I wished that I had been there to see that…have to admit that at times I still do as morbid and sick as that sounds…but unlike Buffy Kendra was a different bird entirely, Buffy had her friends, family and Giles to be at her side, Kendra only had her watcher that from what I've heard sounded more like a bloody caretaker than a father figure…she must have missed out on so much, being separated from her parents for so long…she barely remembered them in fact…it's sad really…," Spike replied with an unhappy frown on his face as he slowly rubbed some of the tension out of Molly's shoulder with his thumb while she tried to process everything that he was telling her.

"That sounds horrible, I couldn't imagine growing up without tasting me mum's tarts and bread…she used to make the best cakes in town, people used to order them months in advance…," Molly added sadly with a nervous pout on her face as she rubbed the ends of a few of her hairs in between her fingers.

"You're mum and mine probably would probably have been good friends…but now before we actually do all get ready and go and see Angel and the others I think that we should have some codeword or something, a word that would let us know that you were in trouble or not feeling up to it," Spike mused with an almost nostalgic look in his eye before he frowned and leaned back a bit.

"I'll be fine Spike, after all you and Buffy trained me…what could be so hard about meeting them all again," Molly quipped with an amused smile on her face as she stared up into the hazy fog that seemed to have settled over the city.

"Angel's not going to take seeing Jenny again very well and then there's Joyce, Buffy and I being married…and another little one on the way…," Spike said softly with a growing look of concern and worry on his face before the door opened and Jenny walked out followed by Buffy, who supported Joyce as the youngest Wilmington slowly walked out of the hotel room, a new stuffed bear in her arms.

"He's going to have to accept that things have changed Spike, they all will, and I for one am not going to take anyone's crap…," Buffy stated with a very clear and certain look on her face before she scooped Joyce up and kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"Maybe I should meet Rupert first…over coffee or something, that way we could get the particulars out of the way," Jenny offered with an optimistic smile on her face as she leaned back up against one of the overhangs support posts.

"Sounds like a good plan to me…none of us have eaten since we left the past…what do you think luv," Spike agreed with an almost bored look on his face before he turned to look up at Buffy.  

"Guess it's as good a plan as any…and it would be nice to have someone on our side when we get the third degree from everyone else…okay Spike you call the Hyperion and set it all up, tell Giles to meet us at that corner coffee shop…the one with the cracked window, in half an hour and we'll tell him everything," Buffy said with a commanding presence about her before she set Joyce down in Spike's lap and helped Molly up to her feet.  Spike did as he was told and made the call, almost having to resort to shout into the phone at the old watcher to keep him from giving away who he was talking to.  A soft spoken woman had answered the phone and at first Spike had been worried that the secret was out but he had been relieved when Giles had picked up.  Spike could tell that the man on the other end of the phone was preoccupied about asking about it but never got the chance as Giles hastily agreed to the meeting and hung up.  

"Do you see him," Jenny asked softly, her heart beating more than a mile a minute as she looked down at her watch.  Half an hour had passed and the former teacher's worries had only intensified before Spike broke in with good news.

"Yep…there he is, seated in that far booth, we're in luck to, he has his back to us," Spike announced with a triumphant and relieved smile on his face as he turned back to Buffy and Jenny.  Molly stood uneasily nearby with Joyce in her arms, still wincing every few seconds with each breath as her ribs were still healing.

"Good, now Spike you go in first and then I'll come in when you give me the signal…I'll let Molly bring Joyce in, no need to overwhelm him…Jenny we'll bring you in last," Buffy stated with a confidant smile on her face before Spike shrugged his shoulders and headed inside.

"You made it," Spike said with a touch of sarcasm in his voice as he walked up to the old watcher and took in the confused look that he was given with a good natured smile before sitting down and picking up a menu.

"Of course I made it…now where is Buffy…is she alright," Giles quickly replied with a poorly hidden worried tone to his voice before he took a sip of his coffee.  

"She's fine Rupert…better than fine actually…in fact why don't you ask her yourself," Spike joked with a borderline cocky smirk on his face before he hid his face behind the menu.

"What…," Giles started to ask with a confused and somewhat angry at Spike frown on his face before he was interrupted from behind.

"Giles…," Buffy said with a worried and nervous smile on her face before only seconds later she found herself wrapped in her watchers arms as Giles hugged her as tightly as he could, tears coming to his eyes.

"Uh…Rupert, you should probably let go now, Buffy does need to breathe remember," Spike spoke up with a half amused and half concerned frown on his face as he set the menu down on the table in front of him.

"Buffy…you…you look," Giles stammered out as he took a step back and took a good look at Buffy.

"Different…," Buffy joked with a tear laced smile on her face as she couldn't help but cry a little at how happy she was to be back.

"Beautiful…I was going to say beautiful Buffy…," Giles stammered out through tears of his own before he gave Buffy another tight hug for good measure.

"See pet, I told you everything would be fine…maybe now would be a good time to tell him about the three years that we spent in the past," Spike interjected with a daring smile on his face, one that only grew when Buffy glared daggers back at him.

"What…three years…," Giles stammered out in shock before he settled back down into his seat and shook his head while Buffy walked around to stand beside Spike.

"Yeah Giles, we spent three years in the past, that portal transported us back to Sunnydale, shortly after I arrived in Sunnydale, but don't worry we made sure not to try and change the past…but I have to admit that we were tempted to…many times," Buffy added with a sincere look of happiness on her face before Spike cut in.

"And since there were now two Buffy's running around she didn't have to work as hard…letting her concentrate on a few more important matters, letting her other self handle the slaying duties," Spike stated with a short laugh as Buffy stomped down hard on his foot for cutting in.

"Buffy what…what could possibly be more important than your calling as the slayer…I don't…," Giles started to ask with a look of total disbelief on his face before the answer to his question presented itself.

"Mommy," Joyce shrieked with a happy squeal of glee as she tore across the floor of the coffee shop and threw her arms around Buffy's right leg, holding on for dear life.

"Sorry Buffy but she…," Molly started to say with an apologetic smile on her face before she winced in pain and gingerly sat down on one of the stools by the counter.

"It's okay Molly," Buffy said softly with a reassuring smile on her face before she caught the completely shocked and confused look on Giles' face.

"Buffy…what is going on here…did she just…," Giles stammered out his question with a flustered frown on his face before Buffy ended his jabbering.

"Giles, I'd like you to meet our daughter, Joyce Ann Wilmington…Joyce this is grandpa Giles," Buffy said with a happy smile on her face as she leaned down and picked Joyce up into her arms.  Giles could only stare in amazement, until he looked closer and saw the resemblance between Joyce and the former vampire seated next to Buffy.

"The answer that you're so heartily searching for Rupert is yes, I am Joyce's father, along with her little brother and or sister," Spike jumped in with a proud smile on his face before he placed his hand over Buffy's stomach, softly rubbing her bellybutton through her shirt with his thumb.  Both Spike and Buffy could only smile as Giles' eyes widened as the full realization of Spike's words hit him.  

"Can I tell him now…," Molly asked with an impatient frown on her face as she slowly slid off of the stool and came to stand next to Buffy.

"Tell me what," Giles asked softly after having taken a moment to catch his breath and take another sip of his coffee.

"That I'm sorry…for everything," Jenny managed to say, almost in a whisper, before a sob wracked her body.  Giles barely took the time to turn around before Jenny collapsed into him, crying into his chest.  Spike stood up and wrapped his arms around Buffy and kissed her softly as the two stood and watched the scene in front of them.  Molly wiped away a happy tear as Giles hugged Jenny as tightly as he could before letting her back up a bit.  With a visibly shaking hand Giles slowly reached out and gently wiped away a tear.  Molly nearly clapped with excitement as Giles pulled a very nervous Jenny into at first a light kiss.  The kiss deepened into one with much more feeling before Spike loudly cleared his throat, barely able to hold back a laugh as he did so.

*                     *                            *                          *                          *                        *

"What are you doing here Lindsey…and more importantly…," Angel started to ask with an angry scowl on his face after he ushered Lindsey and the mystery woman into his office and shut the doors behind them.

"Her name is Eve, and as for why I'm back…well sorry big guy but I don't really feel like telling you just yet," Lindsey replied with an easy smile on his face as he slowly looked around at the various items in Angel's office, never once looking Angel in the eye.

"You're right Lindsey, he doesn't seem so scary up close…more like a neutered puppy," Eve chided with a sly smile on her face before Lindsey turned back around and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Now Eve, is that any way to treat our host…," Lindsey joked with a proud laugh before Angel slammed his fists down onto his desk.

"Cut the bull shit Lindsey and tell me what you want; I'm not in the mood to let you talk my head off before never getting to the point," Angel shouted with a very angry edge to his voice, one that told Lindsey that the vampire with a soul wasn't in the least interested in continuing the game that he was playing.

"Fine Angel I cut the crap out and tell it to you straight, this city is going to descend  straight into the bowels of hell and it's all your fault, how's that," Lindsey declared with a very serious look on his face as he walked up to Angel and looked him in the eye.

"Oh yeah, and how did you figure that out…," Angel asked with an unconvinced scowl on his face as he regarded Lindsey with disdain in his eyes.

"A little birdie told me…a little birdie with a penchant for saving your wretched ass from the fate that you deserve, I think he said that his name was Wiffler…Waffler…something like that," Lindsey replied without missing a beat, keeping the smug smile firmly entrenched on his face as Eve only rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Whistler…," Angel growled angrily under his breath as he clenched his jaw tightly and slowly sat down in his chair, never taking his eyes off of Lindsey.

"Yeah that sounds about right…except he didn't actually say that Angel was going to fail to keep the city of angels from being pulled into hell," Eve interjected with a bored look on her face as she settled down into one of the chairs on the opposite side of Angel's desk than his chair and looked lovingly up at Lindsey.

"You're right Eve…he did say that Angel fails to save the world…but if you think about it a bit that still means that it's your fault," Lindsey said with an amused smile on his face as he sat down beside Eve and laughed.

*                         *                            *                          *                         *                     *

"What's going on in there, who is that," Robin asked with a very determined frown on his face as he paced back and forth in front of the steps.

"The man is Lindsey McDonald, a former lawyer at Wolfram and Hart, one that tried on numerous occasions to kill Angel and put us out of business, but the last that we saw of him he had supposedly turned over a new leaf and left town, I have no clue who the young woman is," Wesley answered with a very serious and deep in thought frown on his face as he looked up from his seat behind the counter.  

"He tried to get me to kill Angel a few years ago…I came close but needless to say he's not a man to be taken lightly," Faith added with a very serious and concerned look on her face as she stood beside Wesley.  Unbeknownst to everyone else Faith right and Wesley's left hand were clasped together underneath the desk.

"So now all that we have to do is figure out what he's doing here," Gunn said with an unhappy frown on his face as he continued to polish his new axe.

"Yeah, and you can bet whatever his plan is it won't be pretty," Fred added with a worried look on her face as she sat down beside Gunn.  

"Then what are we waiting for…let's ask them," Anya exclaimed with an energized smile on her face before she stood up and took off walking towards Angel's office, leaving Xander to scramble after her.

END OF CHAPTER 25


	26. Reunions Aplenty

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce.**

**CHAPTER 26-REUNIONS APLENTY**

"Buffy, this is all a little…," Giles stammered out with an overwhelmed sigh as he dropped his head into his hands and tried to come to grips with all that he was being told.

"To much," Buffy finished softly with a worried look on her face before she turned to Spike, silently begging for any help that he could offer her.

"I know that it's a lot to take in all at once, but I swear that every word of it is true…more or less," Spike added with a sincere smile plastered across his face before he reached in and grabbed Buffy's wrist and proceeded to show Giles the ring.

"Spike…stop that, it's not much but it's what it represents that's really important," Buffy countered with a faux glare towards Spike before Giles again found his voice.

"But Buffy, married, to Spike," Giles asked with a still confused expression on his face as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"I know that this is a lot to take in all at once Rupert, but believe me when I say that Buffy and Spike are happy together, these last three years of not having the weight of the world on her shoulders has been exactly what she needed, she no longer wakes up every morning wondering whether or not today is the day that she's going to die," Jenny interjected with an enthusiastic and optimistically reassuring smile on her face as she slowly began to rub circles on Giles' back with the palm of her hand.

"But what about Joyce," Giles asked with a still unconvinced look on his face as he gestured towards Joyce, who was sitting quietly on Molly's lap.

"What about her Rupert, you fancying to play horsy with her, bump her up and down on your knee," Spike quipped with a sly grin on his face, one that Buffy couldn't help but copy, before Giles quickly finished his thought.

"But is she…normal," Giles asked with a grim and concerned scowl on his face as he nervously took a sip of water.

"Define normal here Giles, Joyce is the daughter of two vampire slayers, she's as human as I am," Buffy declared with an angry frown on her face from what she had decided that Giles was worried about.

"She's not a bloody vampire or some kind of half breed mate," Spike added with a very serious glint in his eyes before Molly acted quickly to defuse the tense situation.

"Mr. Giles, Joyce didn't come along until well after Spike became human, and since we've taken more picnics in the park, bathed in sunlight, I'm doubting that my little niece is any different from any other little girl her age," Molly said with a very calm tone and pacing to her speech before she leaned down and kissed Joyce on top of her head.

"What…your little niece," Giles stammered through with a bewildered expression on his face as he turned his gaze to Molly, who at first returned his gaze before flushing red with embarrassment and smiling.

"We know that Molly's not really Joyce's aunt Giles, but back in the past we told everyone that she was Spike's little sister so that they wouldn't get suspicious," Buffy quickly countered with a slightly scared feeling in the pit of her stomach behind the reassuring smile on her face.

"We needed someone to baby sit for Joyce when we went out and to help out…not like we were going to cut her loose or anything, besides Joyce loves her and…," Spike added with an almost joking smile on his face as he reached out and patted his daughters head, receiving a giggle for his efforts.

"Okay, I give up…you win, but what are you going to do now Buffy, Angel and the others are preparing for an imminent attack by the Scourge and the Beast, time is running out…," Giles asked with a pensive and very worried look on his face as Buffy became scared at how dark and serious the look on Spike's face got at the mention of the Scourge.

"The Scourge, who're they…exactly, sorry dumb blonde moment here," Buffy asked with a sublimely ignorant look on her face as she hoped that someone would explain it all to her.

"The bloody bastards that hurt me," Molly grumbled with at first a very angry scowl on her face before she was forced to soften her look as she moved to quickly and caught a sharp pain in her side.

*                    *                      *                                 *                          *                        *

"I will stop the Beast Lindsey, I don't know how just yet but I will, and I'm telling you now that if I find out that you or your little bimbo here had anything to do with it then my soul won't hold me back from doing what I should have done years ago…," Angel declared with a very clear intent shown by the glare in his eyes as he very nearly slammed his fist into Lindsey's smile.

"I'm not a bimbo pal, don't let the hair fool you, I'm not just a girl…I'm much more," Eve quickly shot back with a defensive look on her face as she stood up out of her chair and glared right back at Angel.  

"Yeah…bet you're really good at saying…do you want fries with that," Angel mocked with an impish grin on his face, one that he had been saving for such an occasion for some time, before he leaned back up and made sure with a glare towards Lindsey that the former lawyer shouldn't think about throwing any punches.

"How dare you…," Eve growled with a fire in her eyes before she caught Angel off guard, balled her fist up, and slugged Angel in the jaw, almost causing him to fall.

"What can I say…the girls got quite the temper, nice right hook to…," Lindsey joked back with an amused grin on his face at the confused and shocked look on Angel's face.

"H…how…," Angel stammered out with a shocked look on his face as he slowly got back to his feet.

"I still haven't quite figured that out yet Angel, but when I do…I won't tell you," Lindsey replied with a smug smirk on his face before he and Eve turned around and left the office, leaving a startled Angel to scratch his head in wonderment. 

*                   *                           *                            *                       *                         *

"I don't want to let you go…I'm afraid that you'll disappear," Giles whispered softly to Jenny as the two stood just around the corner near the Hyperion's outer gate.  

"Don't worry Rupert, I'm not going to go anywhere…not now that…," Jenny began to reassure Giles with a happy smile on her face before he reached up and wiped away a tear.

"So are we going in or not, we already waited till that guy and his blonde bimbo girlfriend left…," Molly asked with an impatient and excited pout on her face as she paced around in an oblong circle, twirling the spear around like a majorette would as she walked.

"I'll go in first with Spike, the rest of you can enter through the back entrance, stay in the kitchen until I can talk to Angel," Giles announced with a deep breath and shrug of his shoulders as he was preparing himself for what was to come.

"Okay…but don't be long," Jenny returned with a slightly joking smile on her face but a deadly serious glint in her gaze.

"Be over before you know if luv," Spike said with a somewhat goofy smile on his face before he kissed Buffy on the cheek, jammed his hands into the pockets of his duster, and took off around the corner and into the Hyperion's courtyard.

"I'd better go…," Giles stammered out with a flustered look on his face before he smiled back at Jenny and hurried off after Spike.

"Thought you chickened out on me for a bit there watcher," Spike said slowly with the usual bit of sarcasm in his voice as the two neared the Hyperion's front doors.

"Hardly Spike, I'm just not as eager to start lying to everyone, even if it is only for a short time," Giles shot back with a disapproving frown on his face as he glared down at Spike.

"Why…never stopped you before," Spike quipped back with a daring smirk on his face before he hurried inside, leaving an angry Giles to grumble to himself softly before following Spike.

*                              *                         *                        *                            *                         *

"What do we do now Angel," Willow asked with a concerned look on her face as she stepped back to let Angel by.

"Simple Willow, we stop hiding in this hotel like rats and go out and…," Angel started to say with a very determined and angry scowl on his face before he was interrupted.

"And still look like the same old wanker that I remember," Spike exclaimed with a proud smile on his face before he slowly stepped down the small steps after the landing.

"Spike," Dawn shrieked in relief and joy before she started to walk towards him but was stopped by Andrew.

"Careful Dawn…it might be Spike, but it could also be a trap, a hologram, a clone…or…," Andrew started to offer up good possibilities before going off on a tangent.

"Shut up Andrew…this is the real Spike," Giles interjected with a disapproving and frustrated scowl on his face as he walked in behind Spike and entered the lobby.

"Giles you're back," Anya said with a happy smile on her face as beside her Xander could only roll his eyes and shake his head.

"Yes Anya, I'm back…and so is Spike, but that's not what's important right now, what's important right now is that we get this all over with and get down to business, stopping the Beast and the Scourge" Giles replied with a serious and nervous look on his face as he wrung his hands and looked to Spike.

"Look Angel what Rupert means is that we're all going to have to fight together if any of us have any chance of making it through this alive," Spike stated with a very serious look on his face as he walked over to Dawn while keeping his gaze locked onto Angel.  "Hey Nibblet," Spike said softly to Dawn with one of his sly smiles before she reached out and poked him in the chest, softly at first before doing it again, this time with forced.  

"Sorry…just had to make sure that it was really you," Dawn said softly as she flushed red with embarrassment before she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Spike, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Nice to see you to…," Spike managed to slip out in between Dawn's mumbled apologies before Angel spoke up.

"I hate to break up such a touching reunion but I'm in charge here and…," Angel stated with a very commanding edge to his voice as he stepped up to Spike and walked around his former grandchilde until he could look him in the eye, putting his back to the kitchen.

"Lay off Angel…," Dawn grumbled with an angry pout on her face as she let go of Spike and glared up at Angel.

"Sorry Dawn but this is serious and we don't have time for Spike to play any of his usual games," Angel declared with an unhappy scowl on his face before Cordelia pulled him away.

"Whoa Angel, calm down," Cordelia exclaimed with a shocked and worried look on her face as she got in between Angel and Spike.

"Yes Angel, you should calm down before someone gets hurt," Buffy stated with a certain and serious glint in her eyes as she slowly walked out of the kitchen and into the lobby, not heeding the gasps of astonishment and excitement at first.

"Buffy…," Angel gasped softly as a great amount of his anger towards Spike seemed to abate, if only for the moment.

"Angel, I…," Buffy started to say with a relieved look on her face before she was interrupted by both Xander and Willow as the two rushed up and hugged Buffy at the same time.

"Buffy," Xander and Willow shouted in unison with overjoyed smiles on their faces before they backed off, letting Buffy take in a much needed breath.

"Hey B…lookin good," Faith offered with as sincere of a smile as she could muster but stood unmoving from her spot next to Wesley, more from not wanting to leave his side rather than to appear mean to Buffy.

"You to Faith…," Buffy replied with a nice smile on her face before she arced an eyebrow and stared silently at the formerly rogue slayer for a bit, almost as if she could guess the reason for Faith staying where she was and it being news to her.  Before anyone else could say anything Dawn hurried forward and gave her sister a hug.

"Buffy what happened…how did you…," Angel started to ask with a concerned frown on his face, as the perfectly combined smell of Buffy and Spike wafted into his nose, but stopped abruptly as he heard low voices from the kitchen.

"What is it…," Robin asked with an uneasy look on his face as he looked to Angel for an explanation.

"There's someone in there…I can hear them," Angel declared calmly with a serious look on his face before Spike jumped in.

"Easy Peaches, no need to wig out, it's just Molly…," Spike informed Angel with an equally serious look in his eyes as he glared straight ahead at his former grandsire before saying the new slayers name loudly, as if calling her out.

"Yeah Angel, just me…see," Molly said softly with a nervous and timid smile on her face as she walked out of the kitchen, carrying a fussing Joyce in her arms.

"See, I told you it was her," Kennedy announced loudly with a vindicated and proud smile on her face as she turned to Willow and the others.

"Molly…," Vi whimpered softly with an overjoyed smile on her face before she sniffled and wiped away a tear.

"Here, she was throwing a bloody fit earlier," Molly said with an impatient and nervous look on her face as she handed Joyce to Buffy.

"Buffy...," Angel asked with a look of great concern and confusion on his face as he brushed by Spike and stood at Buffy's side, gazing downward at Joyce.

"Angel…Dawn…everyone, say hello to my daughter, Joyce," Buffy said with at first a slightly shaking tone of voice before her confidence was restored and she finished feeling proud of her words.  Spike could only bite his bottom lip with earnest to keep from first smiling wickedly and then laughing his full head off at the looks that Buffy's statement received from everyone in the room, especially Angel and Dawn.

"Oh man…this is priceless…," Spike joked softly with a laughing smile on his face as he walked back over to Buffy and lightly tapped Joyce on the nose, receiving a wide eyed stare from his daughter.

"Joyce is Buffy…and Spike's daughter," Giles said softly at first before repeating it only louder and then clearing his throat.

"Spike's…daughter," Angel stammered out with an overwhelmed look in his eyes before he set his jaw and snapped his arm out, grabbing Spike by the throat and lifting him up off of the ground.

"Angel no," Buffy shouted with a terrified and shocked tone to her voice as she turned to hand Joyce back to Molly.

"I don't care…this son of a bitch is evil Buffy, I don't care what he told you…they're all lies, you can't trust him," Angel growled loudly with a very angry scowl on his face as he began to squeeze Spike's throat, forcing the latter to cough and choke.

"Let him go Angel," Giles exclaimed with an angry look on his face as he started towards Angel and Spike.

"Don't do this Angel, let him go," Wesley shouted with an alarmed expression on his face as he quickly stood up, letting go of Faith's hand in the process.  Had Robin or anyone else been looking his way when he had spoken those words they would have seen the two's hands clasped together.

"Why, are you all delusional, he's no different than he was before…," Angel started to shout back with a defiant glint in his eyes before his world fell apart.

"The same could be said about you Angel, or is it Angelus," Jenny interjected calmly with a very determined and serious slant to her walk as she pushed the kitchen door open and stepped out into the lobby, garnering a few confused looks from some and a sharp, stunned, intake of breath from Xander, Cordelia, and Willow.

Angel reacted as if the wind had been knocked out of him.  He let go of Spike and took a couple of steps back, all without lowering his arm or turning around.  Buffy rushed immediately to Spike's side, kneeling down and nearly in tears as he tried to regain his breath.  For several seconds no one spoke.  Jenny slowly made her way further into the lobby, staring solidly, coldly, and accusingly solely at Angel.  Angel staggered back a few more steps before Cordelia managed to regain control over herself and grabbed a hold of his arm.

"What's wrong Angel…you look like you've seen a ghost," Jenny stated with an almost mocking smile on her face as she continued to walk towards Angel, blocking everyone else out of her field of vision.

"No, you're not real you're not here, you're dead, I killed you," Angel stammered out with still a shocked and alarmed look on his face as he leaned back away from Jenny as she came to stand in front of him.

"Yes…you did, but a funny thing happened to me after that, I got better," Jenny said with an odd smile on her face before she surprised everyone by rearing back and slapping Angel as hard as she could.  Angelus' reaction was to seethe with anger at the slap but Angel went sent into a tailspin or emotions, with the least of which being anger.  Unlike him in years past Angel took the assault without striking back.  In fact he did not even go so far as to glare at Jenny, only staring at her with now wider eyes with the realization having dawned on him that she was indeed real and not some trick.

"Jenny," Giles called out with a very nervous and panicked tone of voice as he pulled Jenny back from Angel and hoped that everyone would stay calm.

"It's really Ms. Calendar Angel, the teacher that you killed…no make that murdered when she tried to give you back your soul, the same teacher that after having taken her life you went to the house of the woman that you professed to love more than any other before or since and got off on watching her and Red's reactions to Rupert's phone call telling them of her death," Spike said with a very profoundly accusing tone to his voice as he stood back up with Buffy's help and glared coldly at Angel from across the room.  Beside him Willow's lower lip began to tremble before tears rolled out as she did the math in her head.

"Thank you for reminding me about that Spike, there was something that I wanted to say to you when I got back about that Angel…and here it is…," Buffy said with a confidant and deadly serious tone to her voice as she left Spike's side and walked up to Angel before clenching her fist and giving him one good punch in the face.  Angel shot off of the ground and flew up into the air before finally crashing into the wall near the Hyperion's front doors and flopping back to the ground.

"Serves ya right ya bloody bastard," Molly muttered under her breath with a smile of satisfaction on her face as everyone else in the room look at each other with the question of what now on their lips.

END OF CHAPTER 26


	27. Misgivings And Memories

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce.**

**CHAPTER 27-MISGIVINGS AND MEMORIES**

The dream came every night no matter what she tried to halt its assault it still came.  The same dream every night, making the worst part about it being that it seemed more like a memory to her than a simple dream.

#                          #                                        #                              #                             #

"Mommy…," The little girl whimpered softly with a terrified tone to her voice as she huddled down in the sea of coats on her mother's bed.  Her parents had thrown a party for all of their friends and the little girl had done her best to stay up late and see what all of the fuss was about this thing called New Years.  But that had all been before the monsters had come crashing through the door and the windows, killing everyone in sight.  The little girl had stared on at the horrific sight in front of her for several agonizing seconds before scrambling underneath the coats, shivering uncontrollably.

Outside in the main room the battle was fierce but short lived.  Having been taken completely by surprise the party guests were all dead in under a matter of minutes, all except for two.  The only two remaining were the little girl's parents.  The little girl had always known that her parents were special but never guessed in her wildest dreams that they could stand up against the horrors that she had seen come crashing through the windows and doors.  Hands clapped tightly over her ears and tears streaming down her cheeks in torrents the little girl curled up into a ball and prayed that the bad monsters wouldn't find her.

After some time the commotion out in the main room died down and everything was quiet.  Sniffling a bit the little girl dared to come out from under the sea of blankets and hazard a look through the crack in the door.  The blood was everywhere, coating the floor and all of the walls.  The little girl was about to scream her head off when one of the monsters picked one of the people up off of the floor and showed it off like a trophy.  The little girl's heart nearly stopped as she realized that the body was that of her mother.  Her father's body was soon to follow in a macabre show of taking trophies.  The monsters growled deeply before ripping her parent's heads off, an act that would cause the little girl to go mute for several years and be terrified of the dark well into adulthood, without knowing why.  The little girl couldn't help but whimper at that and unfortunately one of the monsters heard her and shoved the bedroom door open, glaring down at her as if she were about to become its lunch.  With another scream the little girl scrambled back towards the bed only making it halfway before she was grabbed by a large hand and lifted high off of the ground.

"Stupid little bitch…can't forget about you…the master wouldn't like that," The monster squealed with glee, blood dripping from its sharpened teeth before it laughed hysterically as it snapped the little girls neck and dropped her lifeless body to the floor.  The dream always ended just after the little girl hit the floor, her reflection showing in the mirror nearby.  Except what was in the mirror wasn't the reflection of a little girl but instead a grown woman with blonde hair and blue eyes…her own reflection.

#                        #                                  #                                 #                     #

"NO…," Eve screamed out at the top of her lungs as she shot up out of bed and scrambled into the far corner of the room, pulling her legs up until she could wrap her arms around her legs and hide her head in the open space between her knees and her chest.

"Eve…Eve," Lindsey moaned softly at first as he was slowly waking up before through his bleary gaze he noticed his girlfriend curled up in the farm corner of the room, naked as the day that she was born and bathed in sweat.  The frantic look in her eyes told him everything that he needed to know.  "Eve…," Lindsey exclaimed with a very worried tone to his voice as he rushed over to her side and tried to comfort her, but she pulled away and only curled up more tightly upon herself.

"No…momma said to be good…I was supposed to be asleep, bad monsters came and killed everyone, me to…," Eve babbled out softly before her speech became too convoluted to understand.

"It was only a dream baby…that's it, nothing more, the monsters can't hurt you, I won't let them," Lindsey said with a very worried look on his face as he tried again and was successful in getting Eve to come out of her shell just a bit.

"Promise…," Eve mumbled softly with an overwhelmingly terrified look in her eyes as a torrent of tears rushed down her cheeks.

"I promise baby…I promise, I won't let the monsters hurt you," Lindsey replied with a reassuring smile on his face as he brushed the hair off of her face and kissed her softly on the forehead, silently praying that the dreams would stop tormenting the woman that he loved.

*                          *                         *                         *                       *                         *

"Buffy," Giles shouted with a completely shocked look on his face as he frantically looked back and forth between Buffy and the spot near the Hyperion's front doors that Angel was slowly picking himself up off of the floor.

"He deserved it Giles…I'm not going to apologize for it so don't even try to make me change my mind," Buffy stated with a very certain and serious expression on her face before she turned around and went back to Spike's side.

"He was there…," Willow stammered out as the full understanding of Buffy's earlier words struck her in their entirety.

"God Angel…I love you and all…but you're one sick son of a bitch…," Cordelia said with a confused look on her face as she turned to Angel and tilted her head to one side slightly.

"It…wasn't me, it was Angelus…he…was the one…," Angel gasped out as his mind struggled to come to terms with what had just happened.

"Wrong Angel, you can play the name game all you want, but in the end you're still the same heartless jackass that I've always known, the soul doesn't make a damn bit of difference," Spike added with an angry and frustrated scowl on his face as he tilted his head back a bit and gently rubbed the bruises on one side of his neck as Buffy scrutinized the ones on the other.

"Are…they gonna fight now," Andrew quipped with a scared silly look on his face as he hid behind Dawn, who rolled her eyes and shook her head before pulling Andrew back to stand at her side, however she didn't unclasp her hand from his.

"No…they're not going to fight Andrew, Spike and I are going to put Joyce down for her nap, and then Angel, Spike, Giles, and I are going into the office to have a nice…civilized discussion about all of this and then go from there…everyone get that," Buffy stated with a very straightforward style as she looked around at everyone in the room before she took Joyce back from Molly and started off towards the stairs.

"Wait…," Robin started to shout with an angry scowl on his face, as he began to head off after Spike, before Giles stretched his arm out in front of him and cleared his throat.

"Not now Robin, if you want a rematch with Spike it's going to happen after the Beast has been destroyed, but I am warning you…don't get any funny ideas about a surprise attack or anything of that nature, you harm one hair on Joyce's head, even if it's not your fault, and I'll finish what Spike started back in Sunnydale, do we understand one another," Giles stated with a clear and direct tone to his voice as he made sure that Robin fully understood  what he meant.  Reluctantly Robin slowly nodded his head before catching Wesley and Faith talking softly to each other behind the desk.  With a disgusted sneer on his face Robin started to storm towards the new couple but was stopped by a very determined Jenny, as the former computer teacher poked him in the chest with her index finger.

"And just so you know, if somehow Rupert wouldn't get to you…I will," Jenny stated bluntly with a deadly serious glint in her eyes.

"Whatever…you can defend him all you want, but that doesn't change what he is…a killer," Robin exclaimed with clenched fists as he fought to stay in control of his emotions.

*                      *                           *                       *                    *                      *

"I can't believe him…it wasn't my fault, I wasn't in control…God, I actually fell for that load of bull…," Buffy moaned with a frustrated and on edge pout on her face as she and Spike sat down on the foot of one of the beds after having put Joyce to bed in the room across the hall.

"Hook, line, and sinker luv…and you kept on falling every time that he used it," Spike quipped with a soft smile on his face as he ran his hand up Buffy's back until he gave the back of her neck a squeeze with his thumb and ring finger.  

"No…not anymore, there will be no more, falling, of any kind for this slayer, no hook, no line, and definitely no damn sinker," Buffy pouted through with an angry look on her face before she stomped her foot and crossed her arms to emphasize her point.

"Well…if you ain't the little slayer that could…," Spike joked with a daring grin on his face as Buffy turned back around and began to glare back at him with a very poorly done look of disdain in her eyes.

"I'm serious Spike, when this is all over you, Joyce, and I are out of here…forever," Buffy stated with a very proud and assured expression on her face as she lightly pounded her fists on the tops of her thighs.

"What about Molly and Jenny pet, we just going to leave them to the wolves," Spike asked with a sly grin growing onto his face as he pulled Buffy a bit closer.

"Well…we'll just have to take Molly with us, we'll go back to Texas, she can go to school somewhere nearby and it'll be just like it was in the past," Buffy replied with another proud look on her face as she turned to Spike, punctuating her happiness at the last bit with a soft kiss.

"And Ms Calendar…what about her luv," Spike whispered softly to Buffy, truthfully not caring in the least what Buffy's answer was but asking the question just for the sake of asking.

"She and Giles…well, they're both adults, they can figure that out for themselves…meanwhile…," Buffy whispered back softly as she was becoming more concerned with how close she was to Spike rather than about what happened to the former teacher.

"Meanwhile…," Spike said back softly as he flashed her his best killer smile before their lips met.

*                          *                             *                          *                        *                       *

"We shouldn't have just left like that Faith…they'll get suspicious," Wesley said with a concerned and slightly disapproving frown on his face as he tossed the basketball up and down a couple of times, each time catching it with the tips of his fingers.  

"Who cares Wes…Lilah did actually call you about something that needed your signature before it could go out tonight," Faith replied with a daring glint in her eye before she took a swig of one of the bottles of liquor that she had brought with her from his office.

"It was a requisition form for more rolls of toilet paper for the executive washrooms…I hardly think that qualifies to needing both of us to come," Wesley joked back with a fake pout of anger on his face as he walked out onto the basketball court.  

"You got something against me tagging along Wes," Faith asked softly with a true look of concern on her face as she spun him around to face her.

"Not at all…I was just saying that you might have seemed a bit to…eager…to accompany me back at the Hyperion, I have absolutely no problem with you coming along," Wesley countered with a slightly flustered tone to his voice as the two passed the half court line and headed closer to the basket.  After Wesley had signed the form the two had stared at each other a few seconds before Faith had said that she was getting antsy and wanted to work off some energy.  One of the security guards had informed them of the sports complex that Wolfram and Hart owned a short distance away.  The complex had been started as a community outreach program, something to make Wolfram and Hart look like a good and upstanding company to the local populace.  A bit reluctantly Wesley had agreed to the daring look in Faith's eyes and it had only taken a few minutes before one of the complex's guards was letting them in, apologizing for not knowing Wesley's position and begging not to be fired for the oversight.  After assuring the guard for the fourth time Wesley had finally gotten the man to calm down a bit.

"So what now…we have this whole place to ourselves, that guard was about to shit his pants when he realized who you were so no one's going to interrupt us…hey I know…ever play horse," Faith quipped with at first a bored frown on her face before she seemed to like the idea of doing something physical.

"A few times…mostly back in my rogue demon hunter days, it helped break the ice sometimes between me and those that I needed information from when force was the wrong way to go…then Gunn and I played a few times…but we haven't really had a chance to in a long time…why…," Wesley answered with a nostalgic smile on his face as he began to bounce the ball as he walked.

"I had an idea…we play horse, right here and now, but instead of the old namby pamby game of horse that everyone else plays we change it a bit…for every basket that you or I miss…we…take a drink…and lose an article of clothing…game," Faith said with an ever growing smile on her face as she pulled a hair tie from her pocket and tied her hair back into a ponytail.

"Hm…combining strip poker, horse, and just about every drinking game on the planet…I'm guessing that I really don't have a say in this matter do I," Wesley pondered the thought for a few seconds at first with a deep in thought frown on his face before he couldn't hold the frown any longer and turned it upside down into a goofy grin.

"Nope not really, so how do we decide who goes first, because you know if I go first then I'm going to have you naked in like under five minutes," Faith said with a quick shaking of her head as the two arrived at the free throw line and gazed up at the basket.

"In that case I'll go first," Wesley stated with a half smile on his face as he stepped behind the free throw line and deftly nailed his first shot.

"Wuss…," Faith groaned with a mocking smile on her face as she glared lightly at Wesley before she stepped up to the same spot and made the same shot, flashing him a triumphant smile afterwards.  That particular scenario went on for a little while before Wesley backed up to the half court line and heaved the ball with both hands, releasing the breath that he had been holding in with great expectation when the ball hit the backboard and then went through the basket.  "I hate you…," Faith growled with a nervous and unhappy frown on her face as Wesley went and retrieved the ball.

"You wanted to play horse remember, now take your shot," Wesley shot back with a proud grin on his face as he tossed the ball back to Faith, ignoring the tongue that she stuck out at him to show her displeasure.  After taking a deep breath Faith bounced the ball in front of her a few times before she hurled the ball at the basket, cringing slightly when the ball hit the backboard, then the front of the rim, and bounced down in front of the basket.  Without a look Wesley's way Faith grumbled under her breath and pulled out the button up shirt that she was wearing and set about unbuttoning it.  When she got done she slipped it off and hurled it to one side.

"You got lucky Wes…next time you're the one that's going to lose something," Faith grumbled with an angry look on her face as she walked over the bench and downed a rather large gulp of the cognac.  

"Luck had nothing to do with it Faith…trust me," Wesley chided with a smug grin on his face as he backed up a few steps and hurled the ball towards the basket.

"Yes…," Faith exclaimed with an overjoyed expression on her face as the ball hit the rim and bounced away from the basket.

"Damn…," Wesley grumbled loudly with an angry scowl on his face as he jammed his hands into his pockets and watched as Faith retrieved the ball.

"Prepare to lose get naked Wes…because I'm going to bury you," Faith shouted with an energized smile on her face before she took her shot.  Wesley grumbled audibly as the ball sailed through the basket.

Thirty minutes later found the two nearly naked, with both clad only in their underwear, sweat running off of them in rivers.   With Faith not noticing or perhaps caring that her bra was hanging on for dear life after the shoulder straps had slipped off of her shoulders and Wesley's boxers had drooped so low that more than once Faith had to slap herself to keep her mind on her next shot.

"Ready to give up yet Faith," Wesley asked in between deep breaths as Faith wiped the perspiration off of her forehead with the back of her forearm.

"Not even close, let's not forget that you only have one article of clothing on and I have two…," Faith shot back with a daring smile on her face as she walked up to Wesley and poked him in the chest.  The two stared at each other with dueling daring grins on their faces for a few seconds before Wesley reached out and pulled Faith close.  "Hey no…," Faith started to argue before Wesley's arms encircled her body and his lips met hers.  Not caring very much about the game or horse any longer Faith eagerly returned the kiss before slithering out of her panties and wrapping her legs around Wesley's waist and pulling herself up enough so that she could look Wesley in the eye without having to look up.

"Bitch…," Wesley growled softly under his breath as he began to place gentle kisses along Faith's collarbone and then neck.

"Jerk…," Faith growled back softly with an enthralled glint of zeal in her eyes before she slipped her thumb underneath the waistband of Wesley's boxers.  

"Slut…," Wesley added with a fake look of anger on his face before he divested Faith of her bra and she him of his boxers.  The two were soon lost in one ecstatic rapture after another; with neither paying any heed to the four times that Wesley's cell phone went off before the two hit the showers to continue the fun.

*                              *                              *                      *                       *                        *

"What are you doing here…," Lindsey demanded with an angry sneer on his face as he kept his gaze straight ahead but nonetheless the demon that had shown up on his balcony seemingly out of thin air.

"Oh nothing much…just helping a young lady unravel her past before it's to late," Whistler chimed in his reply with a laid back smirk on his face as he sat down and put his feet up on the balcony's railing.

"Eve…I, neither one of us need your help, it's just a stupid dream," Lindsey declared with a still angry growl as he whirled around and glared down at the demon in front of him.

"Just a stupid dream you say…what if I was to tell you that Eve's dream…really isn't a dream at all, but instead a long repressed memory that's fighting to get out and be properly dealt with, I wonder what you'd say then," Whistler answered with an almost worried look on his face as he slowly shook his head from side to side.

"I'd say that I was a fool to ever believe anything that you had to say…now leave Eve and I alone now or else…," Lindsey stated with at first a very forceful and threatening tone to his voice and posture before his gaze settled on Eve lying in bed with the covers pulled up tightly around her, her eyes shut tightly, and tears soaking the pillow.

"If we don't do something now those suppressed memories of hers are going to kill her, if you think it's bad now then you don't want to even know what's coming next," Whistler added calmly with a very dark and worried look on his face before Lindsey cut in.

"Fine…whatever, just tell me how to help her…," Lindsey relented with a defeated and worried look on his face as he put his hands up on the screen door and tried to keep from shedding a few tears himself.

"It's as simple as a family reunion…," Whistler trailed off with an optimistic smile on his face as he stood up, rubbed his palms together like he was finally having fun, and promptly disappeared, leaving Lindsey alone to rush back into the bedroom and comfort the distraught Eve.

END OF CHAPTER 27


	28. Into The Surreal

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclosure:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce.**

**CHAPTER 28-INTO THE SURREAL…**

"Wesley's still not answering is he," A tired Dawn asked with a concerned frown on her face as she plopped down into the open seat next to Cordelia, with Andrew soon following suit and slipping into the open seat next to Dawn, an innocent smile on his face.

"No…that's the good news…the bad news is that it looks like Robin's finally figured out what's been going on between those two," Cordelia mumbled back with a sad pout on her face as she leaned her head back and groaned.

"It's about time…," Dawn grumbled with a bored look on her face before she yawned deeply and gently laid her head onto Andrews shoulder.

"Careful Dawnie…this is usually when everything goes to hell, from now on we have to play it very carefully around Mr. Wood…, hopefully Angel and Buffy will come up with a plan soon enough and then we can actually get off of our behinds and get rid of the Beast…again," Cordelia grumbled with a worried look on her face as she watched Robin pace around in front of the office where Angel, Giles, Spike, and Buffy were busy discussing the groups next course of action.

"What am I supposed to say to her," Andrew asked with a scared look on his face as he laid his hand on Dawn's thigh, his fear lessening as Dawn did nothing to make him remove it.

"Nice non sequitur there Andrew…," Dawn joked with a happy smirk on her face before she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"What are you supposed to say to whom Andrew…," Cordelia asked with a confused and impatient look on her face as she glared over at the former geek.

"Ms. Calendar…uhm I think I still owe her an assignment…you don't think she remembers, do you," Andrew squawked out with a scared look on his face as he hung his head, prompting Dawn to groan.

"I had to fall in love with the wimp…," Dawn mumbled softly with a deep sigh and roll of her eyes as on the other side of the room Angel perked up and tossed a startled and confused look towards the trio, glad that Buffy had not been in the room to hear Dawn's words.

*                       *                       *                          *                      *                    *

The dream came again like she knew it would.  She had sworn to Lindsey that she wouldn't fall asleep but her eyelids had grown so heavy and she could have sworn that the water that he had given her had tasted a little off, probably laced with something to knock her out for awhile and help her sleep.  She was once again thrown back into that same bedroom, the little girl making her way back towards the slightly open door, only to once again witness her parents and their friends being brutally murdered by the demons.

"Sad…isn't it…," A voice from behind the little girl asks with a deep sadness in his voice.

"Who are you," The little girl asks, eyes wider than silver dollars, with a terrified expression on her face as she turns around and stares at the oddly dressed man standing in the corner.

"A friend of your mommy and daddy's…well your mommy's anyway, your daddy and I never really saw eye to eye, probably because I was so close to Angel…," Whistler moans slightly with an impatient frown on his face before he pushes away from the wall and walks to the door, peering out.

"I…I'm gonna," The little girl adds with a scared look on her face as she starts to back away from Whistler.

"You're gonna help your little sister get out of this horrible nightmare of a memory and change the past, making sure that this horrendous night never happens," Whistler quickly replied with a kind smile on his face as he knelt down at the door and closed it softly, locking it thereafter.  

"Joan…what…," The little girl asked with a now confused and scared look on her face as she crawled up onto the bed, ready to dive underneath the pile of coats at any second.

"She's the one who's trapped in this repetitive cycle my dear, this was such a traumatic memory for her that the poor dear was a mute until she hit puberty…now no one can get her to shut up…got a hell of a right hook though," Whistler joked with a very serious smile before he chuckled to himself and stood up.  

"No you're lying…," The little girl shouted with an angry and scared edge to her voice before she dove back underneath the coats.

"Joyce Ann Wilmington I swear…you're as stubborn as both of your parents put together…," Whistler grumbled with a frustrated and impatient scowl on his face before he dove into the pile of coats after the little girl.

*                       *                         *                            *                     *                      *

"We really should get going you know, they're probably wondering where we are…," Wesley whispered softly into Faith's ear before kissing it.

"What's the rush, I'm liking right here a whole lot better than that stupid hotel with everyone staring at me," Faith whispered back with a happy smirk on her face as she delicately trailed her fingers over Wesley's forearm.  The two had finally come to rest, in a sense, on the cot in the office of the director of the sports complex.

"Well I hate to break it to you luv…but we're going to have to go back to that…stupid hotel, sometime…we can't stay here forever," Wesley said back with a slightly sad frown on his face as he brought a few strands of Faith's chocolate tresses to his nose and inhaled deeply.

"Damn…I hate it when you're right…but whenever we go back to the hotel we're going to have to come up with a plan to kill the Beast and the Scourge, otherwise we're only delaying our own deaths…," Faith grumbled with an unhappy pout on her face as she brought Wesley's hand up towards her and kissed the back of his hand.

"I've been thinking about that Faith, Angelus destroyed the Beast with a dagger made of its own bone, you didn't by any chance…," Wesley trailed off with a cheesy grin on his face as he gently stroked Faith's right cheek.

"Sorry Wes, but I was a little to busy bleeding to death to remember to pick up that little trinket," Faith replied in her best sarcasm laden voice before she couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sorry about that Faith, I shouldn't have let you go in there all alone," Wesley added with a regretful frown on his face as his gentle stroking of Faith's right cheek waned.

"Fuck it man, you had two vampires to worry about and I was never one to wait for backup…besides something good did come of it," Faith grumbled with an annoyed scowl on her face as she hated hearing Wesley apologize for something that in her mind was in the past and best forgotten about.

"Oh…and what would that be, you nearly died luv," Wesley asked with an unsure expression on his face as Faith leaned just far enough away to be able to look him in the eye.

"Nearly Wes…nearly, the good part was when I got a free ride out to your jeep," Faith replied with a sly wink before she leaned in close and nestled her face into the crook of Wesley's neck and began a series of kisses that soon brought the fire back.

*                      *                         *                    *                      *                            *

"It's settled then, tonight this all will end, one way or another," Angel stated with a very blunt slant to his voice as he paced around the lobby, making sure that everyone in attendance was paying attention.  Wesley and Faith had returned only minutes before the briefing had begun and Angel had been forced to take a second or two to compose himself as the tsunami of their scents mixed seamlessly together nearly did him in.  Giles and Jenny sat together on one of the couches with a deep in thought Willow on Giles' other side.  Spike and Buffy took a more solitary stance in the doorway of Angel's office, leaning against the doorframe on either side.  Dawn and Andrew had since separated a bit and were on opposite sides of the lobby however Angel had only said one sentence and had already seen the two sneak a couple of looks at the other.  Cordelia and the rest of the Angel Investigations group had commandeered the circular couch for themselves and Xander and Anya sat on chairs that had been carried down from one of the rooms upstairs.  Robin stood mostly apart from the group, scowling heavily as he sat behind the counter, with a worried looking Sam and a frustrated Riley nearby.

"A few of you will serve as bait and draw the Scourge out of hiding…," Buffy began with her best General Buffy voice as the entire time she kept her gaze focused across the doorway at Spike.

"Before we kill enough of them for big, bad, and ugly to show his mug, then we take that bloody bastard out with the scythe and what not…and in no time flat battle's over and you can all go home," Spike finished with a proud smile on his face before his smile only widened at the scared looks that he was getting from the new slayers.

"I'm sorry Angel, but exactly how are we supposed to…serve as bait…and draw the Scourge out of their dark and dingy hiding places, we're not really their type," Kennedy asked with an unconvinced frown on her face as she adjusted her watch and looked to Willow.

"Simple…Cordelia's going with you," Angel mumbled softly under his breath as he kept his gaze off of the woman he loved as best he could before she realized what he had said.

"Whoa there Angel, stop right there, I am NOT going to be bait," Cordelia declared with a very certain and angry scowl on her face as she stood up and stormed up to Angel.

"You're not going to be in any danger Cordy, you're only going to be there long enough so that the Scourge see you and charge, and when they do you'll…," Angel started to say with a hopefully reassuring, but yet also nervous, smile on his face as he laid his hands on the former cheerleaders shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Die…there's no way that you're going to get me to be the worm on the end of the hook for the Scourge to chase, so sorry Angel but you're just going to have to find yourself a new worm," Cordelia stated with a defiant and proud look of anger on her face before she turned away from Angel and stormed off.

"Nice work Peaches…gotta remember that technique for later," Spike grilled Angel with a joking and sly smirk on his face before he shut up abruptly as he caught sight of the glare that Buffy was casting his way.

"Cordy wait," Angel called out with a pleading tone to his voice as he hurried off after Cordelia into the kitchen.

"Those two should take to Dr. Phil…he'd be able to help them work through this little lover's spat," Andrew chimed in with a chummy grin on his face before Molly cut him off.

"Pipe down ya bloody smeghead," Molly shouted with an angry and frustrated frown on her face as she reached over and smacked Andrew on the leg, drawing a mean glare from Dawn and a blubbering look from the former nerd.

"Okay Molly that's enough," Jenny stated clearly with an unhappy frown on her face as she glanced over at the young slayer.

"Sorry…," Molly grumbled softly under her breath with an angry frown on her face as she crossed her arms and looked away.

"It's nice to see everything going so well…," Lindsey announced with a smug grin on his face as he stepped into the lobby, with a skittish Eve behind him, trying her best to look confidant and in control but Spike could see that she was unraveling faster than a spool of thread attached to the back bumper of an Indy car.

"Oh no…you can just turn your little lawyer ass around and walk back out of here," Gunn said with a very threatening slant to his words as he quickly stood up and stepped towards Lindsey and Gunn.

"I'd love to leave, but a mutual acquaintance told me…well told us to be here for this meeting," Lindsey replied with an unafraid smile on his face as he pushed by a startled Gunn and helped Eve to the lone open seat.

"I'm afraid that there's no possible way that you have any such person or persons that could possibly be considered an acquaintance of ours," Wesley said with a very skeptical frown on his face as he set his feet for the possible altercation to come.

"Except for me of course…okay most of you don't know me but the pretty little blonde over there in the doorway does, nice to see you again cutie," Whistler answered with a sheepish grin on his face as he picked his teeth clean with an odd colored toothpick while he walked down the front steps and into the lobby.

"Whistler…didn't expect to see you here, thought we'd seen the last of you after that night in the parking lot," Spike wondered with a skeptical frown on his face as he and Buffy fully stood up and gave each other a quick glance before focusing their gazes on the demon, completely oblivious to the confused and surprised stares that they received from everyone one else in the lobby.

"Yeah well…you two have done pretty well for yourselves without me…these two however are in serious need of help," Whistler replied with a half smile on his face as he shrugged his shoulders and took a seat quickly vacated by a skittish Fred.

"What do you want now Whistler, you helped us get back to our rightful time…what more is there," Buffy asked with an impatient and worried look on her face as her body language begged to suggest that she was about five seconds away from racing up the stairs and making sure that Joyce was still sound asleep.

"An intervention…of sorts pretty lady…you see the lovely Eve here is having the most terrible time with a reoccurring nightmare…a crying shame really, and the only way for her to get the nightmare to end is for her to confront and reconnect with her past…or is it her future," Whistler answered with a sheepish grin on his face as he deposited the brightly colored toothpick into one of his pockets and leaned back in his seat.

"That's all well and good, but what's he doing here," Xander asked with a nervous frown on his face as he could sense the tension building in the room.

"Isn't he the enemy," Vi whispered softly to Molly who sighed and shrugged her shoulders with a bored and unhappy frown on her face.

"Wishing he wasn't, Eve doesn't want or need any help from any of you…but the demon said that he could help her…," Lindsey shrugged back his reply with an unhappy and nervous expression on his face as he glared at everyone that even remotely looked his way.

"Uh…a question, how exactly are we supposed to help her," Willow asked with an interested tone to her voice even though she could tell that she should tread lightly in the current situation.

"No we here or anywhere else Ms. Rosenberg, them…Spike and Buffy, they're the only ones that can help her end this tirade of nightmares," Whistler replied without looking at Willow as he dug around in his coat pockets for something, having to quickly put a hand up to stop his hat from tumbling off of his head.

"Why us…," Buffy and Spike stated their question in unison with confused and worried looks on their faces as Buffy edged a hair closer to the stairs and Spike cast a wary glance towards Lindsey while Molly shifted in her seat, expecting the worst.

"Don't the parents usually help to soothe their child's nightmares, telling them that it was only a dream…that everything was fine and to be there for them," Whistler asked with an almost impish smile on his face, as if he were in on some private joke and was waiting for everyone else to figure it out.

"What…that's it, you drag us all of the way over here for something stupid like this, I don't care if you're supposed to be immortal…," Lindsey exclaimed with an angry scowl on his face as he momentarily left Eve's, who was visibly shaking, side and stormed towards Whistler before he picked the balancing demon up by the collar of his coat and glared at him.  

"Hey…easy man, lay off the threads will you, I swear between you trying to rip the collar out of this shirt and Buffy threatening to…whatever, you wanted me to help your girl and I am…she needs her parents help in this, either they help her out or the nightmares will eventually consume her and your lady love will slip into a coma that she'll never come out of," Whistler quickly shot back with a pleading and almost annoyed look on his face as when he neared the end of his reply Cordelia hung her head and stared sadly down at her feet while Faith turned away, instantly preferring to be anywhere else in the world but at her current location.

"But that's crazy…insane even, if Buffy and Spike are her parents then Buffy would have had to have given birth to Eve like…when she was two…it's not possible…well except unless you're a Sloopy demon…," Anya piped up with a deep in thought smile on her face as her mind worked overtime to try to understand what was going on in front of her.

"Okay…may I just say…huh," Xander asked with a completely clueless expression on his face as he held his hand up as if volunteering in class as he turned his gaze to land it on Anya.

"Sloopy demons, filthy buggers, they're worse than tribbles…," Spike grumbled with a less than thrilled frown on his face as he kept his gaze fixed to the floor.

"I like tribbles…," Andrew chimed in with a gleeful smile on his face before nearly everyone in the room turned an eerily confused and mildly alarmed look his way.

"What are you saying Whistler, that Spike and I are…," Buffy started to ask with a clear stutter before she trailed off, unable to fathom the ramifications of the question and its answer.

"Eve's parents…hey now don't everyone give me that look, you know the one, like I've grown a second head or something, the three of you travel back in time through a portal and you're surprised by this," Whistler answered with at first a happy and smug smirk on his face before he calmed down and finished with a defensive glare in his gaze.

"I don't think surprised comes close Whistler…more like …," Jenny started to say with a confused expression on her face before she could only shake her head and turn to Giles.

"But, she can't be my daughter…Joyce is taking her nap upstairs and…," Buffy started to question with a scared look on her face before she looked down and almost fearfully laid a hand on her stomach.

"Bingo gorgeous, Eve is actually your as yet unborn daughter Joan," Whistler chipped in with a relaxed smile on his face as he proudly nodded his head and lightly tapped the end of his nose with the end of his index finger.

"Hmpf…Joan, what kind of stupid name is that…," Rhona wondered aloud with a mocking grin on her face as she sat up and turned towards Buffy.

"It was Buffy's name, she picked it out herself, back when Red did some magic and we all forgot who we were for a bit…," Spike explained with a less than happy to be remembering the moment frown on his face before he shook his head in an attempt to dissolve the memory.

"Ah what's wrong Spike, you didn't like being Giles' son…," Dawn joked with an innocent smile spread across her face as she grinned up at Spike.

"Funny…Umad…," Spike grumbled back with a faux look of anger on his face before Dawn couldn't help but laugh.

"Ooh…so scary Spike, or should I call you Randy," Dawn returned now, almost with tears in her eyes, as she doubled over in a fit of laughter as nearby a completely baffled Molly turned to Spike and gave him a completely perplexed and worried look.

"Excuse me everyone…but can we have a sense of decorum around here…this is very interesting to say the least…," Giles exclaimed with a very authoritative tone to his voice as he stood up and slipped his hands into his pockets, taking a thoughtful pose.

"No…this is insane, you're crazy Whistler, loony, Eve can't be their daughter, she…," Lindsey started to argue with a frustrated and shocked look on his face before Whistler cut him off.

"She was sent to live in one foster home after another from the time she was two, the memory of that night was so bad that it was just to much for her little mind, so she blocked it out of her memory, but now it's all coming back to her," Whistler interjected with a very serious look on his face, and his hands in his pockets, before he turned back towards the kitchen door as Angel and Cordelia walked back into the lobby.

"Oh this had better be good…," Angel stated with a very concerned edge to his voice as he caught site of first Whistler and then Eve and Lindsey.

END OF CHAPTER 28


	29. Dream A Little Dream For Me

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce.**

**CHAPTER 29-DREAM A LITTLE DREAM FOR ME**

It had been almost two hours since Angel had drawn Spike, Buffy, Giles, Wesley, Lindsey, Eve, and Whistler into the kitchen to discuss the startling revelation that Eve was Buffy and Spike's daughter from the future.  Riley and Sam had retired to a room on the third floor because Riley had become lightheaded.  Joyce woke up only a few minutes later and Molly and Jenny had both gotten up and headed for the stairs before they stopped abruptly and tried to let the other go ahead.  Willow and Dawn had instantly pounced upon the opportunity given them and rushed up the stairs ahead of the two, Dawn intent on spending some more time with her niece and Willow not wanting to be left out.  Faith did her best to stay out of everyone's line of sight as she hoped that Robin would not seek her out, but her luck only held out for less than five minutes before he stepped up in front of her and laid it all on the line.

"Not this time, you're not going to run away and hide with him like you always do," Robin stated very clearly with an expectant look on his face as he crossed his arms and glared down at Faith.

"What do you want from me Robin," Faith asked with a frustrated and nervous smile on her face before she hardened her outlook and scowled back up at the son of a slayer.

"The same thing that I've always wanted Faith…the truth," Robin replied with a very cold look on his face, one that Faith bet that he had used many a time on a wayward student.

"The truth huh…what truth, who's truth…sorry Robin but you're going to have to be a little bit more…," Faith started to joke with an amused smile on her face before Robin uncrossed his arms and glared down at her and interrupted.

"That's enough Faith, quit acting like a child and dancing around the subject, act like an adult for once and tell me…you're with him now aren't you, you and he are a couple, we're through…," Robin exclaimed with a very frustrated and angry scowl on his face as he turned his back to the rest of those assembled in the lobby.

"Oh act like an adult…okay let me tell you something about acting like an adult…it's overrated, and we were over long before Wesley and I ever started having sex," Faith shot back with a defensive and angry scowl on her face as she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes.

"I don't know why…what you could possibly see in him, what does he have that I don't…," Robin asked with an inwardly defeated sneer on his face as he leaned down towards Faith's face, until the two were almost touching noses.

"In a word…me," Faith stated back softly with a pointed and almost gleeful smile on her face before she turned and walked away, leaving Robin to only grumble something under his breath before marching off into Angel's office.

*                      *                       *                                    *                       *                  * 

"This is insane…," Lindsey exclaimed with an angry and unconvinced frown on his face as he tightly clenched the back of the chair that Angel had pulled into the kitchen with him.

"It's not insane…just highly improbable," Giles added with a concerned frown on his face as he adjusted his glasses.

"About as improbable as Buffy and I getting sent through time by a nice shiny portal Rupert…," Spike joked with an almost mocking smirk on his face as he turned to Giles.  Beside him Buffy couldn't help but fix her gaze on Eve, watching as she alternated between acting as if she didn't have a care in the world and acting as if she were trapped under a glass dome with droves of onlookers staring greedily at her.

"Whistler…how can Eve be Buffy and Spike's daughter, when did she grow up," Angel demanded with a confused and frustrated expression on his face as he paced back and forth just inside the doorway.

"It's all in the timing Angel my friend, Eve…or Joan as she'll be named, was born about a year from now and lived with her family until about the age of two…then everything went to hell, almost literally, after that she went from one foster home to another, never feeling like she fit in," Whistler replied with an almost bored look on his face as he walked up to Angel and patted him on the shoulder.

"Joan…," Spike quipped aloud with a confused furrowing of his brows as he turned his gaze away from Giles and to Buffy.

"It was what I named myself…when Willow did that spell to make Tara forget about her using too much magic, but something went wrong and we all forgot who we were, I said that I felt like a Joan…," Buffy replied softly with a worried look on her face before Spike reached over and slipped his hand into hers, interlocking their fingers and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"What does all of this have to do with Eve…," Lindsey started to ask with an infuriated grimace on his face before he was silenced as Eve spoke for the first time since entering the kitchen.

"You used to give me cookies when mommy wasn't looking…sweets to, but she found out and yelled at you…," Eve said softly, almost as if in a daze, as she stared oddly at Spike first and then Buffy.

"Is that supposed to be happening Whistler," Wesley asked with a concerned frown on his face as he nodded his head towards Eve.

"No…it's not, she's worse than I thought, we have to go now…," Whistler replied with an unhappy frown on his face before he took a pouch out of one of his pockets.  Before anyone could act he took a bit of sand out of the pouch and threw it up into the air, mumbling a few arcane words in the process. With a bright flash the room was empty.

*                      *                        *                           *                      *                      *

"Uh guys…where'd they go," Rhona asked with a slightly shocked and surprised look on her face as she gently pushed open the kitchen door and caught sight of the empty room.  

"Where'd who go Rhona," Dawn asked with a bored frown on her face before she turned back to Joyce and her frown turned upside down into a broad grin.

"Angel and Mr. Giles and the others…they're gone…," Rhona answered with a shocked and somewhat worried look on her face before the others rushed into the kitchen.  Soon everyone was busy scouring the hotel for any sign of those that had gone into the kitchen, at least they were until from one of the windows on the top floor Molly caught sight of what looked like an entire army of Scourge marching in line towards the hotel.

"Bloody hell…," Molly gasped softly with a very worried expression on her face before she hurried back out of the room, grabbed Vi's arm, and dragged the confused new slayer back down the stairs, shouting the alarm as she went.

*                      *                         *                            *                     *                    *

Soft music filled the air.  The lights were all out in the room except for a single solitary lamp that almost seemed to be shining more out of spite than any real want to shed light.  Buffy was the first to rouse from what she could only guess had been the effects of some spell that Whistler had placed on them.  Turning her head to one side her gaze came across Spike lying just to her left, snoring softly.  Angel and Giles were lying next to one another near the door, both looking none the worse for wear.  Wesley had somehow ended up sprawled out on the coffee table, arms and legs draped over the sides.  Eve and Lindsey were not at first visible, but when Buffy struggled against her own muscles to get up to her feet their two sleeping forms were found curled up together on the large couch that dominated the room.

"Where am I…Spike," Buffy started to wonder before her own fears overtook her and she rushed back to Spike's side, nudging him gently in his side.

"Nnh…not yet pet, please just five more minutes…," Spike mumbled softly with a scrunched up frown on his face as if he were dreaming about Buffy trying to wake him up.

"Spike," Buffy shouted very loudly as she reared back and slapped him hard across the face.  Had Buffy not jumped back Spike's almost instant motion of sitting up would have caused their heads to collide.

"What…who, oh…Buffy," Spike shouted loudly at first before he blinked a couple of times and turned to Buffy.

"You okay," Buffy asked with a worried and somewhat guilty smile and look on her face before Spike yawned widely and nodded his head.

"Where the bloody hell are we…kind of familiar though somehow," Spike asked with a confused and concerned edge to his voice as he looked around and then back to Buffy.

"I don't know…but this place does seem to have your style," Buffy agreed with a confused look on her face as she helped Spike up to his feet and brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear.

"Are we dead…," Wesley asked quietly as he picked his head up, looked around, and then turned his head to the couple standing next to him.

"I don't think so, and I should know, I've died twice and to tell you the truth this looks a lot better than…," Buffy started to joke with a forced smile on her face before Angel's eyes shot open and he took in a very unnecessary breath.

"Buffy…," Angel exclaimed with a very shocked and confused look on his face as he leapt to his feet and looked around, his gaze finally falling on Buffy and Spike as they helped Wesley up to his feet.

"I'm okay…," Buffy replied with a meager smile before she dropped her gaze downward to Giles still asleep at Angel's feet.

"Come on Rupert time to wake up," Angel stated with a calm frown on his face as he leaned down and shook Giles by the shoulder.

"Mmpf…hey now…," Giles grumbled loudly as his eyes snapped open and the first image that his eyes registered was of Angel standing over him looking very serious.

"It's okay Giles…really," Buffy exclaimed with an almost frantic tone to her voice as she navigated through the room and knelt down beside Giles, helping him up to a seated position.

"Speak for yourself luv…what the hell happened to my clothes," Spike interjected with a less than pleased grimace on his face as he half held his arms out to his sides and stared down at his clothes.  It was then that Buffy noticed that Spike's clothes had indeed changed.  Gone were the usual black shirt and jeans topped off by the black leather duster.  In their place was a pair of gray sweatpants and a tight fitting t-shirt that looked as if something had been spilled down the front of it with someone's name scribbled underneath it.  Buffy couldn't help but giggle at the sight, an act that caused Spike to growl and angrily shake his head.

"Buffy…you're clothes…they've changed as well," Giles mumbled through a wide yawn as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and slowly got to his feet.

"What…," Buffy gasped out in astonishment as she regarded her own clothing selection and noticed that Giles was indeed correct in his assessment of her clothes.  Like Spike she now wore something different than she had only moments before.  Gone were her dark blue jeans and cream colored blouse with the flowers on it.  In their place was a pair of loose fitting boxers, most likely Spike's, topped off by a top that looked to be half missing.  There was a band across her chest with only a sheer long sleeved blouse thrown over top of it.  But that wasn't what caught her, or now Angel's attention the most.  "I'm pregnant…," Buffy stated with a surprised look on her face as she looked down at her protruding stomach.

"So…you were pregnant before…well this happened remember," Spike said with an unhappy frown on his face as he walked over towards them and placed his hand gently on Buffy's stomach.  

"I know…but my stomach wasn't nearly this big…and why am I wearing your underwear," Buffy asked with a confused look on her face as she softly ran her hands in circles around her bare stomach.

"You're in the future…or better yet Eve's past," Whistler stated with a clever grin on his face as he materialized out of thin air.

"Wait, come again…," Spike asked with a confused expression on his face as he turned to face Whistler.

"Eve's…or Joan's future is also your future, and in that future you Buffy are pregnant with your third child…," Whistler replied with a somber frown on his face as he walked past the group to stare down at the still comatose Eve and Lindsey.

"Hey…," Spike shouted with a shocked and a little hurt look on his face as Buffy smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand.

"God, you got me pregnant again…," Buffy grumbled with an angry pout on her face as she crossed her arms and lightly rested them on the top of her stomach.

"What…not likes it's a bad thing…," Spike mumbled softly under his breath with a dejected and somber look on his face as he walked away from Buffy and sat down unceremoniously in one of the chairs.

"That's enough you two, Whistler what are we doing here…how are we here…," Angel stated with a frustrated and concerned for both Buffy and Spike look on his face as he stepped in between the two and walked up to Whistler.

"I brought you here…well me and the cutie over there who's memory this all is, as to what you're doing here well you're here to make sure that the nightmare that is tormenting her every time she closes her eyes is gotten rid of," Whistler answered with a calm but yet very serious look on his face as he knelt down beside Eve and Lindsey.

"I've heard about something like this in the texts of Thymescria…but I never thought it to actually be possible, outside of a few cryptic instances where no one made it out alive," Wesley gasped out with a look of awe on his face as he instantly began checking everything that he could get his hands on to check the date, finally proudly holding up a folded up newspaper with the date clearly marked on the top.

"It's dated two years from today," Giles exclaimed with a surprised and a little bit ecstatic smile on his face as he walked forward and took the newspaper from Wesley, instantly unfolding it and scanning every page.

"You still haven't explained how we're supposed to stop this nightmare, and where is everyone else…Cordy…," Angel demanded with a confused and frustrated look on his face as he half looked back at Buffy, who had become very interested by a number of framed pictures arranged on a fireplace that dominated one wall.

"Buffy…what is it," Wesley asked with a concerned frown on his face as he went over to Buffy and gently laid a hand on her shoulder.  When she didn't immediately answer he began to ask again but stopped instantly when one of the pictures on the mantle caught his eye.  He was nearly brought to tears by what he saw.  Situated directly next to a very lovely picture of Spike and Buffy on their wedding day, Spike in a tux and Buffy in a beautifully white dress, was a very similar picture.  However at first he didn't recognize the woman in the picture, for it was like he had never seen her in this way before.  Snickering to himself Wesley gazed at the picture for a bit before he slowly took it down off of the mantle and gazed down at it.  Faith wore a white wedding dress similar to Buffy's but different enough that Wesley could tell that Faith had most likely picked it out herself.  He saw himself standing beside her, with them both looking happier than he ever thought possible.

"Anyone care to enlighten the rest of us…Buffy…Wesley…," Angel asked with a confused and nervous expression on his face as he completely turned to look at Buffy and Wesley.

"Forget about that right now Angel…we have bigger problems," Whistler interjected with a very serious and unhappy frown on his face as he walked into the kitchen.

"Bigger problems…why don't I like the sound of that," Spike moaned with a worried and somewhat angry scowl on his face as he got up out of his chair and followed after Angel and Whistler.

"Because the party will start soon and I need you to get Joyce and Joan as far away from here as you can before it all falls apart," Whistler answered with a serious and commanding look on his face as he paced around the island in the center of the kitchen.

*                   *                            *                           *                       *                         *

"Weapons…we need weapons," Kennedy shouted with a very determined and energized look on her face as she rushed to the weapons cabinet and threw open the doors.

"How many are there," Robin asked with a very nervous frown on his face as he rushed to the Hyperion's front doors and did his best to lock them.

"I think it's the whole bloody lot of them…," Molly answered with a determined frown on her face as she rushed down the stairs dragged Vi with her.

"Great…catching us with our pants down…," Faith grumbled with an angry smirk on her face as she came back into the lobby, scythe firmly in hand.

"I thought that's how you liked it…," Robin spat out with a vindictive smirk on his face as he walked away from the doors and began to roll up his sleeves.

"Why you mother…," Faith started to yell with a very angry sneer on her face before Cordelia jumped in between the two.

"Stop it…if you want to kill him then you'll have to do it after the Scourge get through ripping us apart," Cordelia exclaimed with an almost frantic yet oddly calm and very serious look on her face as she glared first at Faith and then to Robin.

"We have to get out of here," Jenny said with a worried look on her face as she held a softly crying Joyce closer to her.

"There's no time, they'll be here before…," Cordelia started to shout back with an overwhelmed look on her face before the ground shook violently beneath their feet, forcing them all to the floor.

"What's happening…," Rhona shouted out loudly over the rumble that followed the ground shaking as Jenny immediately made sure that Joyce was alright before Molly rushed over to do the same.

"It's the Beast, it's not going to take any chances this time, it'll finish us all," Riley answered through painfully gritted teeth as he made his way down the steps, weapon in hand, with an also heavily armed Sam right behind him.

"Glad t' see that you could make it," Molly joked with a half amused grin on her face as she stood back up and leaned the spear back on her shoulder.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Sam answered with an odd smile of her own before she followed Riley to the front doors.

"What's he doing," Vi asked with a scared and panicked look on her face as she watched Riley and Sam pull a large black box out of his backpack.

"Trying to help save our lives," Riley shouted back with a determined look on his face as he helped his wife open up the box and take out several pop can shaped objects out of the box.

"What are those things," Robin demanded with a cautious and uncertain frown on his face as even though he didn't know exactly what the two members of the Initiative had planned he already knew that he didn't like it.

"Those are bombs aren't they," Faith added with an almost furious edge to her voice as she rushed to the landing.

"You've got a good eye, yes they're explosive devices," Riley replied softly with an in control look in his eyes as he set about arming several of the devices.

"We're going to use them to create a perimeter around…," Sam started to add with a determined and steadfast look on her face before Gunn broke in.

"There's a way out in the basement…it leads into the sewers, Angel uses it to get around during the day," Gunn stated with a very in control frown on his face as he rushed up to the front doors and quickly glanced out into the courtyard.

"Then what are we standing around here for…last one in the sewers is a two day old hunk of drakken meat," Lorne shouted at the top of his lungs as he flung up his hands and tore off towards the basement, leaving everyone else to stare off after him, confused looks all around.

END OF CHAPTER 29


	30. I Can't Believe It's Come To This

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce.**

**CHAPTER 30-I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S COME TO THIS---**

They struck with the force of a small hurricane, instantly scattering the meager defenses that those left in the Hyperion had thrown up to impede their progress.  Riley and Sam had set up their explosives in a defensive and retreating pattern back towards the sewer access point.  Robin and Gunn had taken charge and split the new slayers up into three groups, with one group being led by Robin, another by Gunn, and a final one by the combination of Jenny, Willow, and Faith.  Molly had reluctantly gone with Robin's group while Kennedy had grabbed one of Angel's deadliest looking swords and sadly followed Gunn's group instead of going with Willow.  Each took a different path away from the Hyperion, hoping that by splitting up they'd lose their pursuers and keep everyone safe.  Dawn had immediately wrapped a warm blanket around Joyce before following after Willow down a foul smelling stretch of tunnel after the witch had cast a sphere of light spell to guide their way.

"Be safe Wes…wherever the hell you are," Faith whispered softly to herself under breath, almost in a prayer to a God that she didn't know if she believed in, before she gripped the scythe more tightly and brought up the rear of the column of new slayers.

*                   *                          *                         *                       *                       *

"Okay…we've figured it out that we're in the future and we have to stop this whole bad nightmare from hurting our daughter…so where is everybody," Buffy asked with a confused expression on her face as she slowly turned away from the pictures on the mantle, holding a small one cupped in her hands.

"Pretty soon the future Buffy and Spike are going to have a party where they and their friends will all be killed, along with their eldest daughter, now to save everyone we have to keep everyone safe and sound…well not we exactly, more aptly you guys have to keep anyone from getting killed," Whistler replied with a slightly cheesy grin on his face as he shuffled his way around the living room, gazing around sadly.

"So what are we facing here demon boy…vampires, werewolves…global cosmetics company's…," Spike quipped with a bored and frustrated frown on his face as he hopped up out of his seat and turned to look at Whistler, all the while not looking Buffy's way.  At this Buffy's bottom lip began to unconsciously jut out a bit and she hunched her shoulders a bit and hung her head.

"Hardly…since we're in little Joan's nightmare here then you'll all be facing your worst nightmare, whatever that is…," Whistler explained with a somber and serious frown on his face as he turned back to the group.

"Angelus…," Angel muttered softly with a scared and very worried frown on his face as he hung his head and stared at the tops of his shoes while Wesley turned back to the picture of he and Faith on the mantle and felt tears stinging his eyes.

"Wait…that's impossible, I know what my worst nightmare is and it can't happen, she's here beside me…," Spike stated with a cross between a very certain and totally confused and worried look on his face as he cast Buffy a sidelong glance, but not locking eyes.

"Really…you're worst nightmare William…is that something will happen to Buffy or the children and you couldn't keep it from happening, well I'll say this, unless you stop the nightmares that are coming your whole family will die," Whistler said with an almost challenging tone to his voice as he walked up to Spike and looked him in the eye, slightly shocking Angel by the act of courage displayed by the demon.

"How will we know that we've beaten the nightmares…when they come," Giles asked with a concerned and deep in thought look on his face as he stepped in front of Angel.

"When they're beaten you'll be returned to where you were taken from…simple as that…," Whistler smiled back through his reply before he turned and headed towards the door.

"I'm supposed to fight in this…," Buffy asked with a confused and slightly hesitant look on her face as she gestured to her small amount of clothing.

"Not all battles are in the physical realm honey…your nightmare is in your mind…but you'd better all get ready, they'll be here before you know it…," Whistler answered with a shrug of his shoulders before he smiled at the group and disappeared.

*                     *                       *                                *                       *                          *

The Scourge took only a few moments of flooding the Hyperion's lobby and first floor before they discovered the tunnel that led down to the sewers.  Leaving only a few of the weaker members to stand guard in the hotel lobby the vanguard of the crusade charged into the sewers, likewise their prey before them, splitting up into three groups and charging off.  The group led by Willow, Jenny, and Faith was the first to fall victim to the Scourge.

"Go…faster, I see them," Faith shouted out loudly with a nervous look on her face as she pushed the new slayers ahead of her forward and spun around, scythe in hand, to meet the first stalwart Scourge soldiers.  The first two fell quickly to the scythe, with Faith initially enjoying the melee.  But soon the forward crush of the Scourge in front of her mixed with the almost snail like pace of the new slayers behind her led Faith to quickly feel like she was in the middle of a giant vise.  

"Dawn…come here…," Willow shouted out the demand while rushing headlong through the tunnels, unfortunately not taking the proper time to try to figure out exactly where they were headed. 

"Willow, what is it," Dawn asked with a very worried look on her face as she held a fussing Joyce close, the fear in her eyes mirrored perfectly by the look of terror on Andrew's face.

"The next manhole that we come to I want you to take Joyce up above and get as far away from here as you can, don't worry about us we'll be fine," Willow exclaimed as she hurriedly turned back to help one of the potentials that had tripped and fallen to the ground.

"But…," Dawn started to protest with a somewhat angry look on her face before Jenny cut in.

"But nothing Dawn, just go…we have to keep Joyce safe for Buffy and Spike when they get back," Jenny interjected with a serious scowl on her face as she pushed aside an old collection of boards that were barring the way down the tunnel.

"Come on Dawn let's go," Andrew said with a panicked look on his face before he started to scramble up the ladder towards the manhole cover, not thinking that he wouldn't be strong enough to actually push the manhole cover off by himself.

"Andrew watch out…," Willow shouted up at the former nerd only moments before she spat out the words to a spell and waved her hand upwards in the direction of the manhole cover, sending it up and skidding off to one side.

*                          *                           *                     *                       *                        *

"This is getting us nowhere," Fred shouted with a tired look on her face as she slowed down in an effort to try to catch her breath.

"We don't really have a choice Fred, we have to keep moving or else we'll all die," Gunn shot back with a take charge edge to his voice as he grabbed her arm and pulled her along after him, trying to keep the fleeing form of Lorne in his sights.

"Mr. Gunn wait…we need to…damn, they found us," Kennedy shouted at the top of her lungs up the column of new slayers before she spun around and caught sight of the shadows of the approaching Scourge dancing on the walls.  Moments later she gave one last look to the column of new slayers and charged headlong into the approaching threat.

*                             *                       *                    *                   *                    *

The nightmares came slowly at first, locking Angel into an almost zombie like trance before he rushed outside and started to wildly throw punches and kicks into the air.  Spike was about to ask him what he was doing when like phantoms floating through the bubbles of seltzer water the ghostly images of the future Buffy and Spike started their party, putting their two daughters to bed before welcoming their guests.  Giles tried to explain what was happening but stopped suddenly when he burst into tears and collapsed into a nearby chair, instantly locked into a similar trance to the one that Angel appeared to be in.  

"Spike what's going on…," Buffy gasped out with a shocked and confused look on her face as she ran her hand through her ghost self, watching closely as the vapors swirled around her hand.

"I think the party's started luv…," Spike replied with a concerned look on his face as he slowly began to study his future self intently.

"Angel and Giles are battling their nightmares, it won't be long now before we join them…Spike, Buffy, you need to find your daughters and protect them…," Wesley exclaimed with a hurried look on his face before he was seemingly struck by a bolt of lightning as he was blasted off of his feet by an unknown force and thrown back through the window and out into the yard.

"Wesley…," Buffy shouted with a very surprised expression on her face as she started to take a step forwards but was summarily stopped dead in her tracks by a booming voice from behind her.

"He cannot help you pitiful fools, I rule this realm and you will not leave this place alive," The Beast cackled with pride before Spike threw himself forward, intent on getting the jump on their nightmare.  All that he got in return was a punch that sent him up into the air and finally crashing back into the fireplace, shattering the many images of a possible future in the process.

*                      *                       *                              *                   *                     *

The ground was wet and muddy beneath his earth caked knees.  He was shocked to find himself kneeling in front of the greatest failure of his life.  Lifting up his eyes and gazing through the rivulets of water that trickled off of the ends of his tousled locks he took in the sight that he had only seen once before, and hoped, prayed, and begged that he would never see again.  A few feet ahead of him sat a simple white marble tombstone with the name of his slayer, his girl, with the epitaph reading only; Beloved sister, Devoted friend…she saved the world a lot.  He tried his best to choke back the sobs that ravaged his body but soon could no longer control his own body and as the light rain intensified into a maelstrom he slipped a dagger out of his pocket and stared at his reflection in the blade.

*                   *                           *                         *                        *                      *

Facing off against the innermost darkness of oneself leads to enlightenment.  He had heard that saying before but couldn't remember where.  He had always hated that saying because he had lived with his innermost darkness for almost two hundred years and he for the life of him couldn't remember seeing any traces of enlightenment.  The yin to his yang sneered at him through the ghostly mask of his own visage in between sharply barbed taunts and jabs.   With each and every one opening one new gaping wound after the other, all feeling as if they would never heal.

"You can't win Angel…God how could you ever be the one in charge, you're so weak…look at you, you're name used to be one that others of our kind feared to utter, but now you're barely a paltry remnant of me…you disgust me," Angelus taunted with a sinister smile on his game face before he landed a quick jab to the side of Angel's jaw.

"I'm…in charge, because I'm stronger than you," Angel grumbled back his reply with an angry look on his face as he glared up at Angelus for a split second and then threw a punch, one that Angelus easily blocked.  Before Angel could retract his arm Angelus withdrew a stake from the sleeve of his duster and jammed it straight through Angel's chest.

*                         *                        *                       *                      *                      *

"She's all around you…laughing at you…I can see her you know…," Drusilla moaned with an aghast gasp as she awkwardly danced around Spike as he started to pick himself up off of the floor.

"What, Dru…," Spike asked with a confused and surprised squinting of his eyes as he staggered back up to his feet.

"You've been a naughty boy…yes you have…Ms. Edith is cross with you," Dru added with an almost hallucinogenic smile on her face as she gleefully stared up at the smashed pictures on the mantle.

"Ms. Edith is only a bloody doll Dru…nothing more than old smelly bellybutton lint and some…," Spike started to growl back before Dru's countenance sharply changed to one of anger and she slipped into her game face.

"No…you're being a very naughty boy Spike, you've been defiled by love…," Dru droned on with a scornful sneer on her face as she paced around Spike, making sure that he was focusing solely on her.

"Enough of your bloody games Dru…where's Buffy," Spike demanded with an unveiled threat in both his tone of voice and posture.

"She's right in front of you my dear…but she didn't pass go…she didn't collect the two hundred dollars…," Dru chirped with a mocking edge to her voice before she morphed in front of Spike's eyes into his first love.  "You're beneath me William…," Cecily stated with such a look of pure pleasure on her face that Spike was stunned into motionlessness, leaving Cecily an opening to drive a stake into his chest.

*                       *                               *                       *                        *                        *

"Vampire whore," The Beast mocked Buffy with a smug and disgusted sneer on its face as it slowly stalked her around the living room.  Buffy fearfully scrambled out of the way each and every time the Beast half swung one of its arms in her direction.  Truthfully her awkward movements were not completely out of fear for herself, but out of fear for the ones that she loved so dearly.

"Where is he, what did you do to him," Buffy shouted with an angry look on her face as she hopped around back behind one of the larger chair, desperately wishing that she had a weapon lying around and that she didn't look like the Goodyear blimp so early in her third pregnancy.

"Me…what makes you think that I did this, how are you so sure that it was not you that created the hell that your pitiful beloved is now suffering endlessly in…," The Beast mocked with an arrogant sneer on its face as it crept closer and closer to Buffy.

"You're lying…I would never hurt Spike," Buffy pleaded with a sincere scowl on her face that hid the fear beneath it.

"Even after he tried to kill your friends…and rape you, he's evil Buffy, you're better off without him, or that other pathetic excuse for a vampire, you'd be better off…," The Beast started to joke back with a chuckle before Buffy cocked her head to one side and stitched up one of her eyebrows in such a way that seemed to suggest that an idea was forming in her mind.

*                             *                      *                     *                    *                *

Molly's second go-around against the Scourge was luckily going much better than her first instance had been.  Using the cramped quarters of the sewer tunnels to her advantage Molly relied on the many hours of training that she had spent with Spike and Buffy to effectively use herself as a cork in the tunnel, keeping the Scourge bottled up in front of her as long as she could.  The Scourge fell like wheat to the thresher as Molly wielded the spear with such a deadly accuracy that had their assault not been driven by a bloodlust the Scourge might have backed down.

"Need some help," Rhona asked with an energized smile on her face as she rushed back to help Molly, over Robin's strong opposition.

"I…I'm okay, you should get back to the group," Molly answered with a hacking breath of her own as even though she was well trained and probably in better shape than anyone short of Spike or Buffy even Molly couldn't last forever and her calves and sides were burning fiercely.

"No you're not I can tell," Rhona declared with a defiant but yet worried look on her face as she started to hurry forward the help Molly but Molly stepped in her way and drove the point of the spear straight through the nose of the closest Scourge member.

"I said I'm fine," Molly shouted angrily with a very triumphant look on her face before one of the Scourge slung something at her.  Unable to move out of the way, and only catching the oncoming object out of the corner of her eye, Molly could only let out a startled gasp before the world went dark and she collapsed to the ground.

*                      *                        *                         *                          *                         *

He stared at the knife the way a drug addict would stare at the needle containing their next fix.  In such a way that the knife would make all of the hurting stop, make all of his pain and tears go away forever.  He turned the knife over and over again in his hands, not bothering to look at his reflection in the blade.  It began to sprinkle softly before becoming a torrential downpour, but all the while Giles never once broke his gaze away from the knife.  In his head he could hear a voice telling him to do what he knew must be done to make the hurt go away.  The voice would alternate between sounding like Joyce's voice and then Jenny's voice, both sounding so soft and comforting.  With a strangled cry he threw himself forward, digging into the soft mud with his fingers, sobbing almost painfully as he squished the wet earth in his hands.  Blinking through the rain Giles picked up the knife and placed its point over his heart.

"I'm sorry Buffy…," Giles started to utter in a soft whisper before he felt the prick of the point of the knife against his skin.

*                      *                              *                         *                      *                          *

"No…leave me alone, you're wrong, you don't have a bloody clue who I am anymore," Wesley shouted with an angry and torn look of panic on his face as he glared at his father.

"I know exactly who you are Wesley, a sniveling little snot of a watcher that's sleeping with his slayer…quite the slutty bitch I…," Wesley's father started to say with an overly mocking sneer on his face before in one fluid motion Wesley snapped, pulling a gun that he had kept hidden in a special harness in the lining of his coat and aimed it so that his father could look down each barrel without having to cross his eyes.  With the slightest traces of a smile on his face Wesley gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger.

"Bloody…," Wesley started to scream before he doubled over in pain, his head hitting the ground at the same exact time that the body of his father crumbled to the ground.  Soon the pain in his gut became too intense and he squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could.  But as soon as the pain had come it left him.  When he opened his eyes back up his breath caught in his throat.  Staring him down, with the point of a spear lightly resting on the tip of his nose, was a very nervous looking member of the Scourge.  Somehow, someway, he had beaten his nightmare and returned to the Hyperion, apparently ahead of the others.

*                         *                        *                         *                        *                           *

"You're beaten Angel…look at you, crawling around on the ground like a common human, at least get up and give me the satisfaction of a respectable kill," Angelus taunted with a snicker as he began to relentlessly kick Angel in the side.  Angel tried his best to get out of the way but found that his body would not react to his commands.  The gaping maw in his chest sent spiraling lighting bolts of pain throughout his body with each and every movement and breath, no matter how small or large.  The beating that he had received from Angelus had pushed him to what he thought were his limits, leaving him barely able to command the simplest of muscles.

"I'm…never, beaten…," Angel gasped out through chattering teeth as he desperately tried to stretch out for a chunk of cement that he hoped to use as a weapon.

"Quit lying to yourself, you're beaten, you just don't know it yet," Angelus started to add to his taunt with an excited and gleeful smile on his face before a bright white light flashed out, blinding both Angel and Angelus for several seconds.  When his vision cleared Angel could only attempt to stutter out a reply through quickly cooling lips, overflowing with trickles and rivers of blood.

"Cordy…," Angel gasped out with his remaining strength as above him the last image that he saw was of Angelus exploding into a shower of dust.

*               *                             *                            *                      *                   *

"What's so funny…," The Beast demanded with a fed up and anxious sneer on its face as it picked the couch up and heaved it out through the nearby window.

"You…I know what you're trying to do and I'm telling you that it's not going to work, you should have tried harder you know, if I didn't truly love Spike with all of my heart…my being…then I would have fallen for your ruse…," Buffy replied through a fit of giggles as she stopped dodging around the room and crossed her arms in front of her, resting them on her stomach.

"How dare you…," The Beast growled back with a very angry and desperate grimace as it lunged for Buffy with murderous intent in its eyes.

"No…how dare you hurt my family and seriously think that I'm not going to kick your sorry ass through this realm and into the next," Buffy stated with a very firm and confidant edge to her voice and stance before there was yet another bright flash beside her.  When the flash subsided Buffy nearly cried as Spike wearily got back to his feet and looked around.

"Guess it really wasn't Dru then," Spike mumbled with an awestruck look on his face before he snapped himself out of his almost trance and set his intense glare on the Beast.

"Spike," Buffy exclaimed with a very heartfelt and relieved look on her face as she again backed up just enough to slip out of the Beast's clutches before impulsively throwing her arms around Spike.  Seeing this the Beast became wholly enraged and leapt at the couple, intent on smashing them into paste.  But with another bright flash of white light the Beast soon found itself all alone in the destroyed living room.

"No…," The Beast roared in anger and pent up frustration as it reared its head back and let out a primal scream.

*                           *                       *                           *                     *                     *

He lay there bleeding to death, confidant in knowing that he would see his slayer again soon.  His dying thoughts trailed off to those others that he had also failed in his endeavors to train his slayer.  The redheaded witch that he had seen grown from an easily forgettable slip of a girl to an uber-powerful force of nature, the nerdy carpenter turned hero, and the young girl that he had treated like a second daughter come into her own.

"I'm sorry…," Giles whispered softly through his tears before a gentle hand reached down and gently wiped away those tears.

"Don't be sorry Rupert; you did what you could, it was fated to happen, she needs you the most now, you need to go to her now," A soft feminine voice said that sounded like church bells chiming in step before the glow subsided and Giles found himself staring into the face of Joyce Summers.

*                       *                          *                   *                        *                      *

"Molly," Vi shouted with a terrified look of panic on her face as she rushed forward, getting in a little too much of a hurry as she stumbled in the last few steps and was forced to crawl through the muck to get to Molly's side.

"Vi watch it," Rhona exclaimed with an alarmed look on her face as she hurriedly picked the spear up off of the ground and met the oncoming rush of the Scourge.  Then ensuing battle was short and to the point, with Rhona not being as wholly trained as Molly she took the direct approach, aiming the spear at about bellybutton level and charging ahead.

*                       *                            *                        *                    *                         *

Sight and sound came back to them at exactly the same time.  However they found themselves momentarily suspended about twenty feet off of the floor.  With almost the snapping of a person's fingers whatever force was keeping them suspended in the air subsided and they started their descent towards the floor.  Buffy reacted quickly enough and reached out and caught hold of the second floors railing, leaving Spike to latch onto her foot.  After several deep breaths, making sure that both could stay where they were if need be, Spike let go of Buffy's foot and dropped the rest of the way to the floor.

"Okay Buffy…let go," Spike exclaimed with a hurried and somewhat confused look on his face as he kept one eye on Buffy above him and the other on the lobby, making sure that they were alone.

"Okay…here I come," Buffy shouted back with a nervous frown on her face before she took a deep breath and let go of the railing, freefalling for a bit before Spike steadied himself and caught her in his arms.

"Got ya," Spike grunted out softly as he wobbled a bit before solidifying his feet under him and hefting Buffy around a bit in his arms to hold her better.

"Okay Spike…you can set me down now," Buffy whispered softly with an odd smile on her face after spending several seconds in Spike's arms, with the latter not making a move to set her down.

"I could…don't want to…," Spike snickered back with a sly grin on his face before Buffy mirrored his smile.  In a moment of serene sublimity the two were the only two beings in the world.  As their smiles slowly slipped from their faces their lips met in a storybook kiss, complete with the fireworks and relieved tears.

"Buffy…Spike," Wesley shouted with a scared look on his face as he burst into the lobby, gun in hand, followed closely behind by Giles who looked to have eaten something that wasn't agreeing with him and Lindsey and Eve, both of whom looked to not be fully understanding everything that was happening to them.

"Giles," Buffy exclaimed with a start, after having reluctantly broken the kiss with Spike and spying the condition of her watcher.

"Buffy…," Giles stammered out with a relieved but overly tired smile on his face before he reached up and wiped the sweat off of his brow.

"What happened," Eve asked with a timid and worried look on her face as she slowly looked around the lobby, finally poking Wesley in the shoulder, almost as if in an attempt to make sure that he was really there instead of an illusion.

"Whistler took us all into your memory," Angel stated with a preoccupied scowl on his face as he slowly walked around the corner and then down the stairs, sporting more than one bruise on his face and side, keeping a hand over his heart.

"Wait…her memory, that's not possible," Lindsey declared with an angry and confused expression on his face as he put an arm around Eve but kept his glare aimed straight towards Angel.

"Well Whistler's not exactly normal, he's an immortal demon whose sole purpose is to keep good and evil balanced, no matter which side he has to play on," Angel answered with a grim and unhappy look on his face as he walked towards Lindsey but cast Spike and Buffy a quick look along the way.

"We fought our nightmares and won…," Buffy added with a serious look on her face as Spike set her down and the two began to follow Angel's lead towards Lindsey and Eve.

"And wound up back here, twenty feet off of the bloody floor no less," Spike quipped with a sarcastic pout on his face as he stopped walking, ending up standing next to Wesley.

"Same here…except not the twenty feet in the air part…," Wesley added with a curious look on his face as he looked first to Angel and then to Spike.

"Nnh…Lindsey…," Eve grunted and pleaded softly with a pained scrunching up of her face as she grabbed her head with both hands and dropped to her knees.

"Eve," Lindsey shouted with a very worried and panicked edge to his voice as he dropped to his knees beside her.

"What's going on," Buffy asked with a worried look on her face as she turned to first Spike and then Angel.

"The entire nightmare that you just beat, and all of its venom, is being pulled out of her memory, soon she won't even remember that anything out of the ordinary happened that night," Whistler stated as he shuffled out of the kitchen with a happy and celebratory smile on his face.

"And that's a good thing…right," Spike asked slowly with a confused look on his face as he took Buffy's hand in his and squeezed.

"So she's still our daughter," Buffy added almost in a whisper as she felt a tear slipping down her cheek.

"As much as little Joyce is…speaking of which," Whistler replied with an almost bored smile on his face before he began to dig around in his pockets.  As suddenly as the pain in her head had started it suddenly subsided, prompting Eve to slowly stand back up and look around a bit before settling her gaze on Spike and Buffy.

"Mommy…daddy…," Eve stammered out, as tears filled her eyes, before she rushed over and threw her arms around both of their necks, pulling them into as tight of a hug as she could muster.  Still shocked by the act Spike and Buffy both awkwardly at first returned the hug, with Buffy's tears soon matching her daughter's and Spike's only beginning.

"Such a touching moment…to bad it'll be your last," The Beast declared with a very angry sneer on its face as it slowly appeared out of a cloud of smoke that suddenly formed in the middle of the lobby.

"What now," Giles shouted with a concerned look on his face as he fully straightened up and had seemed to regain his breath.

"You're asking me, I don't even know who this son of a bitch is," Lindsey replied with a bitter and angry tint to his words even though he was really angry about Eve's actions rather than Giles asking him a question.

"Your death pitiful human," The Beast added with a mocking smirk on its face as it took a step forward.

"Not if I have anything to say about you're not," Whistler exclaimed with a proud and energized smile on his face as he stepped forward and brought forth the same substance that he had used to send Angel and the others into Eve's memories.  Seconds later Whistler tossed the substance up into the air and spoke a disjointed series of arcane words, words that both Giles and Wesley kept an attentive ear to.

"What's that supposed to do…," The Beast asked with a bored out of its mind look on its face before there was a bright flash of light that filled the entire lobby, momentarily blinding everyone assembled.  When it subsided the effects of Whistler's spell was quickly discovered.

"Hey wait…where'd they go…Wesley," Faith exclaimed with a wary and confused look on her face as she turned around on her heels before she spotted Wesley and her eyes grew large in recognition and relief.

"Faith…what…," Was all that Wesley could get out before Faith nearly tackled him in a passion filled kiss that he soon returned.  In the center of the lobby the Beast seemed to be disgusted by Faith and Wesley's act as it barred its teeth and growled.

"Buffy," Dawn shouted with a look of great relief on her face after she spotted her older sister.  

"Dawn…," Buffy stammered out with a confused look on her face as Eve reluctantly pulled away enough to wipe away her tears.

"Rupert," Jenny exclaimed with a worried look on her face as she hurried to Giles' side and pulled his arm around her shoulders, helping him to stay standing as he seemed to still be a bit wobbly on his feet.

"Hey what the bloody…," Molly grumbled with an angry and confused look on her face as she came to and winced when she gingerly touched her left temple and felt the large black bruise there.

"We're back…," Gunn stated with an unsure look on his face as he looked around the lobby before his gaze fell on Angel and the others.

"Yeah…out of the frying pan and into the fire," Vi screamed with a very scared look on her face when her gaze fell onto the Beast, who seemed to revel in her fear and panic.

"What happened to the Scourge," Fred asked with a confused look on her face as she searched the lobby for any signs of their pursuers.

"They're gone, when Angel and his friends defeated their nightmares in Eve's memory the nightmare here was defeated as well," Whistler answered with an almost proud smile on his face even though the Beast was intently glaring at him.

"The Scourge were the nightmare here…when we defeated our nightmares…," Spike guessed with at first a confused look on his face before he brightened up into a proud smile.

"They left to…leaving us with only big, dumb, and ugly here…," Buffy finished with a frustrated and almost mocking smirk on her face as Faith chuckled a bit.

"You dare mock me…," The Beast growled with an angry and somewhat amazed look on its face as it clenched its hands into fists.

"Um…yeah, we do," Molly joked with an amused smirk on her face as she took the spear back from Rhona and Spike pulled the sword out form its hiding place.

"You will all die…," The Beast roared with a furious look etched into its face before it charged towards the nearest group of new slayers, scattering them like dust in the wind.

"After you…," Buffy added with a very serious look on her face before she grabbed the scythe away from Faith and followed Spike into the fray.  Angel did his best to get the new slayers and others out of the way of the fight as he knew that the Beast had a particular penchant for throwing his adversaries around like rag dolls.  Gunn started to grab an axe and join the fight but Fred latched onto his arm and pulled him away with all of her might.  Soon the lobby was vacant except for a few of the new slayers who had been unfortunate enough to get caught on the wrong side of the Beast, having it being in between them and the exit, and most of the chosen few.

"Watch it Molly," Spike exclaimed through a labored breath as he ducked underneath the Beast's swinging arm.  With an almost impish smile on her face Molly leapt back away from the Beast and then dove back in, burying the tip of the spear deep into the Beast's side.  Roaring in both pain and anger the Beast jerked away from Buffy and Spike's attacks and stumbled back first into and then over one of the terrified new slayers, killing her in the process.

"Damn you slayer bitch," The Beast growled as it glared venomously at Molly as it pulled the spear from its body and hefted it up into a throwing position before launching it in the young slayers direction.

"Molly look out…," Rhona shouted with a panicked look on her face as she rushed forward and pushed Molly out of the way, ending up taking the point of the spear through her chest in the process.  For several sickly moments Rhona's limp body hung up, suspended on the spear, before Faith and Angel rushed over and rectified the situation.

"Oh God…," Vi gasped with a deathly white look on her face as Spike thought that she was about to pass out before she turned to her side and lost her lunch.

"Rhona…," Molly stammered out through trembling lips as tears sprung to her eyes.

"Snap out of it Molly," Faith shouted with an angry and sickened grimace on her face as she handed the bloody spear back to Molly, shivering slightly as drops of Rhona's blood slipped off of the shaft and splashed onto her arm.

"O…okay…," Molly stammered out with a scared look on her face as she took the spear and got back up to her feet.

"Two down and more to go," The Beast mocked with a proud smile on its face even though the wound in the Beast side made the celebration by the Beast a short one.

"You bastard," Robin growled with a look of shocked rage on his face as he caught site of the bloody body on the floor.  Raising the sword that he had used earlier Robin charged towards the Beast, completely oblivious to everyone around him, warning him against it.

"Robin no…," Angel shouted with his arms outstretched in a feeble effort to try and stop the former principle.  Buffy watched in horror, and almost in seemingly slow motion, as Robin slashed at the Beast with his sword, only to be rebuffed with ease.  The Beast's first attack against Robin was also its last.  With an arrogant snicker the Beast grabbed a hold of the blade with one hand and Robin's head with the other.

"Bloody…," Was all that Spike could get out as he surged forward to go to the former principal's aide before the Beast grinned widely and squeezed Robin's head until it popped like a cork from a bottle of champagne.  Once more Vi found the sight of the death of a friend of hers too much to take and she wretched all over again.

"God…," Faith gasped with a stunned expression on her face as a couple of tears found their way out to run down her cheeks before she regained her composure.

"Gotta end this before anyone else gets killed," Spike stated with a very serious look on his face before he to rushed towards the Beast.  The Beast blocked his first attack and snapped its foot behind Spike's and took his feet out from under him.

"Now you will see the punishment for those who dare to defy me…," The Beast declared with a triumphant snicker before it proceeded to try to squash Spike by using its foot smash Spike's chest in.  For a few moments no one moved, leaving an eerie silence in the room.  Buffy was the first to react after hearing the sound of some or most of Spike's ribs being busted.

"Spike…," Buffy shouted with a panicked look on her face as she rushed towards the Beast and dodged its first attack before she swung the scythe upwards and buried it into the Beast's stomach.

"Molly now…," Spike did his best to shout through the pain as he turned his head towards Molly and grabbed the Beast's leg and held on with all of his might even though as he did so he felt another one of his ribs breaking.

"Now Molly," Angel agreed with a shout as he rushed forward, along with Faith, and threw themselves at the Beast, each grabbing an arm and straining to hold the Beast in place.

"I don't…," Molly stammered out with a scared look on her face as she hesitated to act.

"Molly…," Faith shouted with a very angry scowl on her face before she was forced to grit her teeth and use all of her strength to hold the Beast's left arm.

"Okay," Molly returned with a panicked look on her face before she hefted the spear up to shoulder level and charged headlong towards the Beast.

"You fools…you cannot…," The Beast mocked them with a sinister sneer on its face before Molly sped up and drove the point of the spear home into the Beast's black heart.  A low and powerful shudder reverberated through the Beast's body before it growled in pain and then exploded; flinging everyone that had played a part in killing it flying.  Out in the streets many vampires and other demons were forced back into the shadows as the humans filled the streets and cheered the return of the sun.

END OF CHAPTER 30-ONLY EPILOGUE LEFT


	31. Epilogue

**THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING**

**Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created like Joyce.**

**Author's Note:  This is the epilogue of the story, thanks to everyone for reading and if people want I'll try to get a sequel out sometime, but I do have other stories that will come before this one to write.**

**EPILOGUE**

_2 DAYS LATER…_

The preparations for the party were all set.  Rhona, Robin, and the others that had died had been given a meager, but proper, burial.  It had been easy for the deaths to go unnoticed as all three that had died were orphans and had no living relatives waiting up for their safe return.  Buffy and Spike had spent much of the time alone with Joyce, except for the time spent trying to make tentative connections with Eve, who warmed up to them as the hours went by.  Wesley and Faith had returned to his apartment after the fight and hadn't been seen since, leaving Dawn and the others to wonder if they'd ever seem them again.  Dawn had finally admitted to Buffy her feelings for Andrew, prompting Spike to pull the former nerd to the side, after he had recovered from the initial heart attack at the realization of Dawn's words.  The warning that Spike had given Andrew was one that he fully intended to follow up on if the young man ever hurt Dawn.

"Okay people…the party's about ready to start…where's Buffy," Dawn asked with a jubilant smile on her face as everyone assembled in the lobby.

"I think they're upstairs, I'll go get them," Cordelia offered with a tired smile on her face and a yawn before she handed Angel her glass of punch and headed off towards the stairs.

"They're not up there…," Angel stated with a low and calm tone to his voice as he avoided everyone's stares.

"Oh…you mean they're somewhere else…," Giles asked with a somewhat concerned look on his face as he furrowed his brows and turned to Angel while pulling Jenny close.

"You could say that…they didn't want to make a big fuss of it but…," Angel stammered out with a worried look on his face before Fred guessed aloud the rest of it.

"They're gone aren't they…left…skedaddled, vamoosed, just the three of them," Fred interjected with a sad look on her face as she gestured along with her words.

"Gone…but how, why…when, we…," Andrew stammered out with an aghast look on his face as if his long hours of planning had just been ruined in an instant.

"The six of them actually…with the new baby coming, Eve being there daughter, and Molly scared stiff of this place they didn't want a repeat of what happened here…they wanted," Angel tried his best to answer with a sad frown on his face as he shuffled his feet and scratched the back of his head.

"To protect their family…and the only way to do that is to be on their own…," Willow finished up with a somber look on her face before a few tears came to her eyes.

"But we have cake…who wouldn't want cake…," Andrew pleaded with a scared and almost blubbering look on his face as he turned to Dawn, who was nearly in tears but kept her composure.  

"If it's any consolation they left a note to each of you on here…whenever you want to just open up your letter and…," Angel stated with a somber frown on his face as he produced a disk out of his pocket and held it up for all to see.

"So who's first…," Cordelia asked through a sniffle before she put on her best smile and took the disk from Angel.  Soon the room was filled with everyone wanting to go first.  Somewhere along a lone country road in southern California a bleached blond haired man jammed and crammed a Welcome to Sunnydale sign into the U-haul that he had rented and got back into his car, receiving a kiss from his wife before gunning the engine and heading off  back towards home.

*                            *                       *                           *                        *                        *

The night was crystal clear and cool, but that was of little concern to the lovers staring up into the murky depths above.  Clothed in nothing but each other and wrapped in the heavy comforter from his bed the two hunkered down together in the old chair on top of the roof of his building and enjoyed their time together.

"What's running through that head of yours…," Wesley asked with a slightly confused look on his face as he cocked an eyebrow and stared at Faith as he rubbed some warmth back up into her upper arm.

"Nothing…well not really, what are we supposed to do now, the threat is gone and we're…," Faith replied with a confused and somewhat sad frown on her face as she traced circles on Wesley's chest over his heart with the fingernail of her right index finger.

"At a crossroads…one that will affect the rest of our lives," Wesley added with an almost nostalgic look of happiness on his face before Faith pushed away from him enough so that her forearms were resting on his chest and she could look him fully in the eye.

"What's that supposed to mean," Faith asked with a concerned and confused look on her face as she stared intently into Wesley's eyes.

"When Whistler took us into the future I caught a glimpse of a possible future…and after everything that we've been through these past few days I've decided to take my chances when they present themselves and not let them pass me by…," Wesley said with a hopeful smile on his face as he pulled one hand away from Faith and reached over the side of the chair and into a black bag.

"What are you saying Wesley…so Ms Calendar coming back was the reason that the Beast came back but how does that…factor…in…Wesley…," Faith started to ask with a concerned look on her face before her eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped at the sight in front of her.  Nestled in a small velvet lined box sat a ring with the largest rock that Faith had ever seen on it, reflecting the light from the small fire nearby into a cascade of sparkles onto their faces.

"Faith…I know this is sudden…but…will you marry me…," Wesley stammered out softly in between deep breaths, all without taking his eyes off of Faith's for even a split second.

"Wes…I…I…yes," Faith stuttered back her reply softly, almost in a whisper before in one fluid motion she pulled the ring out of the box, let Wesley slip it onto her finger and then the two celebrated their engagement as only they could.

END OF EPILOGUE


End file.
